Town’s game against Burnley at Turf Moor remains goalless at half-time.

Luke Hyam was handed his first Blues start of the season in a three-man central midfield in place of Jonathan Douglas, who missed out with a knee injury, in an otherwise unchanged side.

Jonny Parr was back on the bench after a calf problem as the Blues chased a club record sixth successive away win.

There was an early hold-up when Christophe Berra required treatment following an aerial clash with Sam Vokes. After lengthy treatment the Scotland international, who has been in the wars recently, losing teeth and suffering a cut to the head, was able to carry on.

Once the game had restarted Kevin Bru, as at Brighton the most advanced of the three central midfielders, struck the first shot but saw his effort deflect wide. Following the resultant corner, the match was stopped again, this time for Burnley striker Andre Gray to undergo treatment.

The Blues went closer on 10 when Freddie Sears crossed from the right following a Town corner and Tommy Smith turned the ball to Clarets keeper Tom Heaton from close range. A foot or two either side of the former England U21 international and the Blues would have been in front.

Michael Kightly, one of a number of Burnley players who were previously members of Mick McCarthy’s Wolves squad, scraped a shot wide soon after having cut in from the left, then on 15 the one-time Grays Athletic man shot well over from distance.

Ryan Fraser had made a quiet start to the game by his standards but on 18 the Scotland U21 international almost conjured a goal out of nothing, picking up a pass from Sears and taking a couple of touches before lashing a strike which flew just past the post and hit the stanchion.

The home side should have gone in front in the 21st minute when Kightly cut the ball across to an unmarked Gray inside the area but the former Brentford man somehow diverted the ball the wrong side of Dean Gerken’s left post.

Town had a chance a minute later when Fraser cut the ball from the left to Luke Chambers arriving on the right of the area but the Blues skipper opted to cross rather than shoot - which was probably the better option - and the danger was cleared.

The Burnley support was becoming increasingly frustrated with referee Peter Bankes for failing to give them decisions after Gray clashed with first Tommy Smith in a dangerous area midway inside the Town half and then with Berra on the edge of the box, although both incidents seemed six of one and half-a-dozen of the other.

The game remained a hard-fought, tight, typical Championship contest and on 28 Sears - who had swapped flanks with Fraser - cut in from the left and shot straight at the keeper.

Kightly was continuing to present the home side’s biggest threat and on 32 the winger was found in space by Joey Barton, cut in from the left and hit a shot wide.

A minute later at the other end, Sears did much the same but powerfully hit his strike against Heaton at his near post.

Burnley thought they’d grabbed the lead in the 39th minute when Ben Mee stabbed home following a David Jones corner but referee Bankes disallowed it for a push as the ball came across.

Two minutes later, Kightly shot over when he might have done better with the Clarets looking the more dangerous side in the closing minutes of the half.

Deep in injury time, Berra brought the ball out of the Town box following a Burnley corner and Bru’s cross-field pass which would have sent Sears away on goal was cut out by Matt Lowton.

Shortly afterwards referee Bankes brought to an end what had been an evenly-contested first period. The official was booed off by the home support, irked by the disallowed goal and for the incidents involving Gray.

Both sides had had chances - Gray’s opportunity for Burnley the best - with the home side failing to find the target when they had a sight of goal, while at the other end Heaton got in the way of most of Town’s best efforts.

Overall, Blues boss Mick McCarthy will be happy enough with the scoreline at half-time.

Burnley: Heaton (c), Lowton, Keane, Mee, Ward, Kightly, Jones, Barton, Arfield, Vokes, Gray. Subs: Gilks, Duff, Boyd, Taylor, Darikwa, Ulvestad, Hennings.

Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Hyam, Bru, Fraser, Sears, Murphy. Subs: Bialkowski, Malarczyk, Parr, Maitland-Niles, Oar, Varney, Pitman. Referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool). Att: 16,307 (Town: 885).

Photo: Action Images

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