PHOTOS: Blackpool 1, Burnley 0

The midfielder, with options limited ahead of him, unleashed an unstoppable drive from 20 yards and found the top corner with Clarets goalkeeper Lee Grant stranded.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche made changes to chase an equaliser, initially introducing Martin Paterson and David Edgar at the expense of Ross Wallace and Junior Stanislas to switch to 4-3-3, before replacing Dean Marney with Danny Ings, but despite pinning the home side back the Clarets couldn't force a genuine opening.

» Tag yourself in our fan pics on Facebook

In the first half Blackpool goalkeeper Matthew Gilks produced a number of spectacular saves to keep the Championship clash level at the interval.

Despite the home side's dominance in terms of possession it was the Clarets who went the closest to breaking the deadlock on a shocking surface at the seaside.

Within the first minute Dyche's side threatened when Stanislas drilled in to the side-netting from the angle of the penalty area after sharing a short corner with Wallace.

But the hosts slowly took control of the game as influential midfielder Sylvestre began to get a foot hold and dictated the tempo with the aim of drawing both Matthew Phillips and Thomas Ince in to the fixture.

The latter did well to create space down the left after shrugging off the attention of Kieran Trippier before pulling a pass in to Nathan Delfouneso on the edge of the six-yard box, but the former Claret loanee miscued.

As the Tangerines continued to press, forcing the Clarets to drop to the edge of their own 18-yard box, defender Kirk Broadfoot floated a first time effort across Lee Grant which flashed by the upright.

The first of Gilks's saves arrived midway through the half when Ben Mee read Sylvestre's pass in to Ince and the full back fed Stanislas who took a touch before thumping an effort against the post via the glove of the goalkeeper.

Grant gathered Ince's tame half-volley at the second attempt after Delfouneso's header from Phillips's centre had fallen kindly for the winger deep inside the box.

Both sides had utilised the flanks well but it was the Clarets who proved particularly effective on the overlap as Wallace forced the save of the match just before the break. As he burst forward, Trippier pulled Stephen Crainey away with a dummy run leaving Wallace to cut back on to his left and fire a sublime effort at goal which Gilks did well to turn over as the ball threatened to dip beneath the crossbar.

Chances were few and far between in the second half, particularly after the opener as Blackpool looked to defend their lead to lift them away from the division's drop zone.

Sylvestre capped a fine performance with the winner in the 58th minute when taking a touch, looking up, opening up his body, and striking across Grant and in to the far top corner.

Stanislas fired off target before Dyche's array of substitutions while Edgar's attempt from the edge of the box was deflected wide following his introduction.

In fact as the visitors pressed it was Paul Ince's men that almost found a second when catching their opponents on the break. Marney was caught in possession in an advanced position upfield and the home side broke three on one through Phillips. The winger, with options at both sides, threaded the ball left to Ince who stormed in to the box, cut inside and fired against the bar via a deflection off Mee before Sylvestre somehow headed the rebound wide with the goal gaping.

However, the Clarets failed to punish the Seasiders for that glaring miss as the home side held on for a 1-0 victory.

» Tag yourself in our fan pics on Facebook

• The Burnley Express has launched a FREE football app which is now available to download on iPhone and Android devices.