PHOTOS: Blackpool 4 Burnley FC 0

Despite an assertive and well-drilled performance in the opening 45 minutes, Eddie Howe's side were punished by the athleticism and penetration of the Seasiders after the break.

On loan Swansea striker Stephen Dobbie continued his rich vein of form, somehow finding the aperture between Lee Grant and his post with a rasping drive from 25 yards after full-back Stephen Crainey had rolled a free-kick, conceded by Marvin Bartley, in to his path in the 21st minute.

But that was unfortune for the Clarets who had overcome Blackpool's energetic tempo in the early stages. After referee Chris Sarginson dismissed a penalty appeal when Dobbie's thunderous effort cannoned off the arm of Michael Duff, Burnley grew in to the fixture.

Eddie Howe's side had a real driving force down the flanks, with full-backs Danny Lafferty and Kieran Trippier providing the overlap for Junior Stanislas and Ross Wallace.

And the first opening came when Wallace's centre was guided towards the near post by Chris McCann on the volley but Matthew Gilks was alert and equal to the attempt. Grant was forced to palm Thomas Ince's daisycutter to safety moments later but it was Gilks who became the busier of the two keepers after Dobbie opened the scoring in the 21st minute.

The Clarets responded well to conceding the opener, dictating the momentum and pressing the home side. And they could have been level with a minute of going 1-0 down; when Wallace fed Trippier down the right, he cut inside Crainey and forced a superb save from Gilks at his near post.

Blackpool were rocked, struggling to find a route out, and once again the away side found joy out wide; this time McCann's looping header from Lafferty's centre floated past Gilks at full-stretch but dipped agonisingly wide of the far post.

Ian Holloway applauded his keeper once more as Gilks pulled off a spectacular double save to deny Charlie Austin and Stanislas. The keeper first beat the striker's thumping header away following Trippier's floated cross and, as he regained his balance, Gilks touched Stanislas's angled drive wide of the post.

The travelling Clarets faithful couldn't believe their side was trailing in the derby and sdalt was almost rubbed in to the wounds when Phillips' effort from distance kicked up off the uneven surface and troubled Grant, who gathered at the second attempt.

And as the half closed, dangerman Dobbie pierced through Burnley's rearguard but Grant reacted well to thwart the striker's stinging drive from inside the area.

But after the interval the Clarets were undone by a cocktail of precision and poor decisions. Gary Taylor-Fletcher doubled the advantage in the 47th minute, looping Crainey's lofted cross beyond Grant, though Duff had seemingly cleared the attempt from underneath the bar. However, Sarginson decided that the goal stood.

Gilks was the hero again, saving Wallace's low set-piece from the edge of the box, though he was fortunate that Bartley stabbed over the rebound from close range. But the away side never looked convincing and were susceptible to being caught on the break.

The hosts threatened and then scored; intricate one-touch football on the edge of the box saw Dobbie thread a pass in to Crainey who sweeped the ball through the hands of Grant to make it 3-0. Clarets heads were down, confidence was drained, and even when Gilks made a mistake, fluffing a clearance, Alex Baptiste was on hand to spare his blushes, stealing the ball away from Clarets sub Danny Ings.

Holloway had added a further injection of pace, Nouha Dicko replacing Taylor Fletcher, just before the hour, and he would eventually find himself on the scoresheet. Ince looked to have been played offside down the right, though this was ignored by both Sarginson and his assistant, and the winger slotted in to the path of Dicko who slid the ball beneath Grant to make it 4-0.

Blackpool were in cruise control, Burnley looked battered, and the game crept up to the 90 minute mark without further action or controversy. Two questionnable goals from Grant's perspective, a debateable goal-line decision and the absence of an offside flag had cost Burnley dearly, frustratingly for Howe, who had seen his side perform admirably on their travels for much of the campaign.