Disappointing Town fell to a 3-0 defeat at Burnley's Turf Moor. The Blues had started brightly but rarely looked like getting back into the game after James O'Connor's 33rd minute opener, Garreth O'Connor and Chris McCann adding to the Clarets' lead in the second half.

On the field Town lined-up unchanged from Saturday's 2-0 win at Leeds, although there was one switch on the bench, Jaime Peters coming into the 16 for Dean McDonald.

Adi Akinbiyi's early shot was deflected through to Lewis Price but the Town keeper wasn't overly troubled by the former Canary's effort.

The Blues began the game passing the ball around fluidly and in the ninth minute a move down the left involving Owen Garvan and Dean Bowditch ended with Sam Parkin shooting into the sidenetting.

Garvan was involved in most of Town's best stuff and came close to breaking through the Burnley defence in the 10th minute but lost his footing as he went past a defender inside the area to somewhat hopeful calls for a penalty.

There was a scare for the Blues soon after as Akinbiyi, a regular scorer against Town over the years, was sent through one-on-one with Lewis Price with the back four looking for a flag. Fortunately, Price was equal to the Burnley striker's shot.

The Town stopper blasted a clearance against Graham Branch in the 20th minute but fortunately the ball looped up kindly and into the keeper's hands.

The Blues were unhappy with referee Mike Pike six minutes later when Sito was felled on the edge of the Burnley area and the official failed to award a freekick.

Town were playing much the better football and a neat interchange of passes on 29 ended with Bowditch's shot deflecting wide. From the resultant corner, Richard Naylor's header was saved by Brian Jensen, although the Danish keeper ought to have been made to work harder.

A minute later, Darren Currie sent Bowditch away down the left, the former Burnley loanee hitting another shot which was deflected wide. Naylor again got his head to the corner but sent the ball well wide when he should at least have hit the target.

However, despite Town having looked increasingly on top, the home side would go in front in somewhat fortunate circumstances. James O'Connor took a pot-shot from 30 yards out, the ball deflecting off Jason de Vos's toe and looping into the air and over Lewis Price.

The goal woke the home fans and gave their side a boost, O'Connor coming close to a second goal soon afterwards but his strike from an Akinbiyi cross was deflected wide. The subsequent corner saw the Irishman having another go but again a defender got in the way.

Town failed to test the Burnley defence much more before the break, although Kevin Horlock's freekick from wide on the right missed everyone in the penalty area and went narrowly past the post.

The lead probably flattered Burnley at the break, although they had enjoyed the better of the game after their goal and Town had created little in the way of clear-cut chances during their strong spell earlier in the half.

John Spicer had a good chance to put the Clarets further in front in the 48th minute when he broke away after a Town corner. However, the former Arsenal trainee screwed a shot wide with options on the other side of the area.

Darren Currie hit a low left foot shot which gave Jensen no problems, but the home side had started the half the more dangerous of the two teams, quickly getting the ball forward to Akinbiyi whenever they could.

Price saved an Akinbiyi shot from a tight angle on 51, the linesman inexplicably awarding a corner when the ball had clearly stayed well inside the line. Fortunately for the Blues it came to nothing.

Akinbiyi was proving difficult for the Town defenders to handle and on 54 he got away from De Vos inside the area but put his shot the wrong side of the post, claiming he had been fouled by the Canadian.

The much-travelled frontman was close to a goal again two minutes later when a Sito clearance on the right of the area deflected off a Burnley player straight to him on the penalty spot. Luckily for Town, the former Leicester man lost his footing and shot wide.

On the hour, Owen Garvan's 25-yarder went wide but the Blues were rarely threatening to get on terms, all too often surrendering possession tamely and playing their way into trouble. While Jensen prepared to take the goalkick, Town replaced Dean Bowditch and Jim Magilton with Danny Haynes and Jaime Peters.

Parkin turned and shot wide from the edge of the Burnley box in the 64th minute but seven minutes later gave away the freekick from which the Clarets would score their second goal. The kick 25 yards out was touched to Garreth O'Connor whose low shot beat Price to his left, the keeper indicating that a defender should have closed the strike down.

Akinbiyi missed another good chance in the 83rd minute, heading wide when it looked easier to score, before Chris McCann added the third, heading home a Garreth O'Connor corner from close range.

Garvan, Town's most influential player on the night, saw his shot deflected wide in injury time but the Blues never looked like scoring a goal.

The first time Town have lost 3-0 during Joe Royle's time as manager and a defeat which was well deserved, particularly on the lackadaisical second half performance when the Blues were very much second best.

As with the home game with Preston, the first goal changed the game and Town failed to recover from the blow. They created few chances at one end and, on another day with Akinbiyi wearing his boots on the correct feet, could well have conceded a couple more at the other.

Town: Price, Sito, McEveley, Naylor, De Vos, Magilton (Peters 60), Horlock, Currie, Garvan, Parkin, Bowditch (Haynes 60). Unused: Supple, Wilnis, Juan. Att: 10,496.

Photo: Action Images

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