PHOTOS: Burnley 3, Bristol City 1

With the Clarets leading 2-1, defender Joseph Mills chopped down troublesome winger Albert Adomah to present the away side with a chance to equalise. However, the Championship's basement side failed to capitalise as Grant plunged to his right to deny Steven Davies.

City's Ghanaian international provided the sporadic threat with his pace and it was he who opened the scoring for the Robins against the run of play. Sean O'Driscoll's barely threatened the Clarets until Stephen Pearson's brilliant, penetrative pass found the winger who raced on the outside of Mills, burst in to the box, rounded Grant and composed himself before slotting the ball home in the 35th minute.

Until that point the home side were commanding and completely dictated the flow of the game. From the off the Clarets looked vibrant and alert and almost took the lead when Grant's long clearance was won in the air by Sam Vokes and the striker immediately darted towards the edge of the box to lash Charlie Austin's improvised flick inches wide of the post.

The hosts moved the ball patiently and precisely from the back before using Junior Stanislas and Ross Wallace as outlets to push forward. It was the former who almost assisted Austin for the opener when the one-time Hammer fired a low centre towards the six-yard box which was met by a sweeping effort from Burnley's leading scorer, though he was denied a 29th of the season courtesy of a great reflex save from Tom Heaton.

The Clarets continued to utilise the flanks, often proving too clever for City's full backs, and as Trippier lifted the ball over the head of Greg Cunningham and in to the path of Wallace, the winger's cross found Austin again but his header was clawed off the line by Heaton.

In the next attack, with the away side barracaded in their own half, the returning Dean Marney tried his luck as he bent a delicate shot around the angle from 20 yards out with Heaton at full stretch. Vokes went close again once Wallace picked up Liam Fontaine's poor clearance but after turning Matthew Bates from a clipped pass to the near post he smashed wide of the far post.

But, once Stanislas drilled wide after fighting for possession with Pearson, the City midfielder picked out an exquisitie pass for his pacey team-mate who kept his cool once through on goal to break the deadlock.

Austin's bullet header flew over the bar and Stanislas's side-footed shot missed the target as the hosts pressed for a leveller but the visitors hung on until the interval.

After a profligate opening 45 minutes, manager Sean Dyche's team talk clearly had an affect as the Clarets packed a more ruthless punch in the second period. And the home support didn't have to wait long for a leveller when Stanislas's awkward corner found Shackell lurking at the back post and the captain met the ball instinctively to head home.

At times it was a bombardment of Burnley pressure as their energy and intensity increased, their movement becoming more crisp, and Vokes's glancing header was saved by Heaton once Wallace had cut back on to his left foot and swung in a cross.

Moloney and Davies worked an opening for the away side and though Austin's untimely slip afforded the latter a clear view of goal, he blazed over the bar. Heaton was then called in to action again when the ball broke for McCann via a ricochet off the shins of Vokes but the in-form keeper was equal to the low drive.

That sustained period of pressure eventually paid off though when Trippier sat the ball up for McCann at the back post and the Dubliner ferociously hit the ball through the legs of Heaton to notch his first goal since his stoppage time winner in the 4-3 triumph at Ashton Gate earlier in the season.

The Clarets continued to look comfortable though, similarly to recent weeks, they gradually dropped back and invited the pressure. That led to the penalty incident, which Davies spurned to deepen City's relegation fears, and Grant's save galvanised the home side once more.

Austin forced a superb save from Heaton from 25 yards as the Robins stopper turned the effort around the post but in stoppage time Paterson, who had earlier replaced Vokes, made sure of the points. Trippier once again provided the assist and as the striker's header looped in to the air off the back of Bates, he showed great technique to volley in to the corner.

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