Town’s run of defeats stretched to six games as the Blues were thumped 4-0 at Burnley. Sam Vokes opened the scoring from a header from a corner, then Chris McCann added the second just before the break. The Irishman added his second and the Clarets’ third, before Jay Rodriguez completed the scoring.

Paul Jewell made four changes to the side which lost 3-2 to Reading at the weekend. In goal, Arran Lee-Barrett took over from Richard Wright, who joined David Stockdale on the sidelines due to a shoulder injury.

Mark Kennedy came into the team at the base of what was a return to the midfield diamond with Jimmy Bullard ahead of him, Lee Bowyer on the left and stand-in skipper Keith Andrews on the right. Daryl Murphy joined Michael Chopra up front. The back four was the same but with Ibrahima Sonko on the bench after his hamstring injury.

In windy and rainy conditions, the Blues caused the first penalty area danger in the opening minute, Keith Andrews sending in a cross but too far in front of Michael Chopra. On six Keith Treacy might have done better when found in space on the right having got round the outside of the diamond but Carlos Edwards got back across to cover.

On 11, with Town on top in the opening period, holding on to the ball better than in recent matches, Bowyer exchanged passes with Bullard down the left and sent in a cross but again too far ahead of Chopra and Murphy.

Keeper Lee-Barrett, making his first league start of the season, pulled off a superb save in the 16th minute to keep the Blues on terms, getting down to his right to push summer Town target Jay Rodriguez’s 30-yard strike wide after Bullard, Andrews and Kennedy had got in one another’s way. From the resultant corner, the ball wouldn’t fall for David Edgar and Ívar Ingimarsson cleared.

Burnley started to have more of the ball and in the 23rd minute Treacy shot over from 25 yards with chances rare at both ends. Soon after, the Irishman again got away down left but Ingimarsson got across to end the danger.

Town threatened on 27, Kennedy sweeping wide to Cresswell, who sent a deep ball to Andrews, who headed across goal but Clarets keeper Lee Grant claimed ahead of Murphy.

Lee-Barrett pulled off another stunning stop on the half hour when Kieran Trippier crossed deep to Rodriguez , but the Blues’ keeper was equal to his header.

The England U21 saw a shot deflect wide on 33 and from the resultant corner, the home side went ahead. Treacy whipped in a ball to the near post from the right and Wales international Sam Vokes got in ahead of Danny Collins and Lee-Barrett inside the six-yard box to head home the fifth set-piece goal Town have conceded in three games.

Three minutes later, Treacy again got away unchecked on the Burnley left before hitting a shot which was blocked by Lee-Barrett. The Blues keeper was called into action again moments later when Chris McCann broke through the middle and hit a shot which the one-time Hartlepool man claimed at the second attempt with Town looking jittery after the goal.

Jason Scotland replaced Daryl Murphy up front seven minutes before the break, the Irishman presumably succumbing to the hamstring injury which has hampered him for most of the season.

More chaotic defending on 42 ended with Junior Stanislas hitting a shot off team-mate Rodriguez and well wide.

The home side added to their lead as the game reached the 45-minute mark, McCann moving the ball wide to Stanslas on the right, the ex-West Ham man beat Cresswell round the outside and sent in a low ball which McCann bundled home from close range having continued his run.

Referee Nigel Miller’s whistle brought to a close another disappointing Town half seconds later. The Blues had matched their opponents for much of the half and played better football than in recent games — although without creating anything of note and with Lee-Barrett having been the busier of the two keepers - until they were again let down by their defending at a set piece.

After that, the Town backline looked distinctly unsure of itself and a second Burnley goal seemed only a matter of time.

Manager Jewell made his two remaining changes at the break, bringing on Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Josh Carson for Lee Bowyer and Mark Kennedy, giving his side a more attacking feel in a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

The home side ought to have made it three in the 52nd minute when Stanislas got round the outside of Cresswell again and sent in a low ball towards Treacy but Carson somehow got in ahead of the former Blackburn man. The ball was briefly loose in the area before Collins scraped it behind.

Despite Michael Duff having to make a well-timed early challenge to dispossess Chopra inside the area, Burnley were starting the second period the stronger, Rodriguez shooting wide from a Vokes knockdown on 54.

Treacy picked up the game’s first yellow card for a very late challenge on Cresswell on 62 with the Clarets looking far more likely to add to their goals than the Blues were to pull one back. Three minutes later Rodriguez shot wide after breaking through the middle.

The always-likely third Burnley goal took only another minute to come, Treacy finding McCann as the Irishman ran unchecked from midfield and slipped the ball past Lee-Barrett for his second of the game.

Vokes volleyed a Tripper cross in completely the wrong direction in the 70th minute after the on-loan Manchester City full-back had again been allowed the freedom of the Blues’ left flank. Three minutes later the Welshman again missed the target from a cross from the right-back when he should have scored, then moments later miskicked a Treacy cross from the left.

The Blues — with Carson and Emmanuel-Thomas having switched flanks - were making little headway at one end, while Burnley looked likely to score every time they went forward with Vokes having had enough opportunities to have claimed a hat-trick.

Rodriguez made it four in the 77th minute when Collins slipped as he challenged for a long ball, the 22-year-old striker taking on the chance himself when he might have found Stanislas in space to his right and beating Lee-Barrett low to his left.

The excellent Trippier hit a freekick into a defensive wall as the final five minutes approached with Eddie Howe’s men still looking for more goals. A late deflected Chopra cross into the almost entirely unoccupied Grant’s arms was the nearest the Blues would come to a goal.

Another disastrous night for Town. As soon as the first Burnley goal went in — yet another set piece - Town collapsed like a pack of cards and in the end they were probably lucky to get away with four.

The change of personnel at half-time if anything made the Blues more vulnerable to a Clarets side which grew in confidence as the goals went in, while Town looked more and more punch drunk as the game progressed.

The run of defeats is now up to six — matching a streak close to the end of Roy Keane’s tenure this time last year — and only goal difference is keeping the Blues from the bottom three.

Boss Paul Jewell’s task looks tougher with every game with Town’s bogey side Watford next up at Portman Road on Saturday.

Town: Lee-Barrett, Edwards, Ingimarsson, Collins, Cresswell, Bullard, Andrews, Kennedy (Carson 46), Bowyer (Emmanuel-Thomas 46), Chopra, Murphy (Scotland 38). Unused: Cropper, Sonko.

Burnley: Grant, Trippier, Duff, Edgar, Mee, Bartley (Marney 51), McCann, Treacy, Stanislas, Rodriguez (MacDonald 82), Vokes (Hines 81). Unused: Stewart, Easton. Referee: Nigel Miller (County Durham). Att: 12,499 (Town: 319).

Photo: Action Images

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