David Dunn scored the all important goal from the spot-kick

BURNLEY 0

BBLACKBURN ROVERS 1
- Dunn (pen) 20

**Burnley's survival hopes suffered a major blow after a David Dunn penalty handed local rivals Blackburn victory.

Dunn gave Rovers the lead from the spot in the first half after Martin Olsson was judged to have been brought down by goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

Olsson also rattled the bar with a fierce drive while Jason Roberts headed wide from inside the six-yard area.

Burnley's Leon Cort volleyed a yard wide, while Wade Elliott failed to get a crucial touch on Danny Fox's cross.

With West Ham having lost again on Saturday to leave them in joint 17th with Hull, Burnley knew a win would have lifted them level on points with the Hammers and the Tigers, albeit with an inferior goal difference.

Victory in this Lancashire derby would also given Brian Laws' side is a psychological advantage in the fight to avoid the drop.

But like their fellow clarets, the Lancashire side have been in freefall for some time now - with only one win in 20 Premier League games.

Another telling statistic is that they had yet to win a league game this season after conceding the opening goal.

With 16 minutes gone, the omens did not look good.

Olsson, possibly Blackburn's best player, ran on to a ball in the area before he was ruled to have been taken down by Jensen.

Screams of protests followed from Burnley's players, but referee Mike Dean stood by his decision following a further consultation with his assistant, and Dunn sent Jensen the wrong way from the spot.

It was what Blackburn deserved having been on top during much of the first half.

Olsson, who was keen to support lone-man Jason Roberts in attack, had the ball in the net a shortly before the break but the effort was harshly ruled out for offside.

Spanish full-back Michel Salgado screwed his eight-yard effort wide and Roberts headed over from four yards when Christopher Samba was better placed behind him.

Burnley's problems in defence are known - 22 games without a clean sheet - but they have often relied on their attack to bail them out.

However, here their most potent players, David Nugent and Steven Fletcher, regularly drifted deep in order to act as catalysts for any attacks which explained why it was a defender, Cort, who had the best opportunity in the first half - a controlled volley that flew wide of the far post.

Laws' men began well after the interval without giving Blackburn shotstopper Jason Brown any palpitations. It was endeavour that lacked threat.

But it was at the other end that a second goal looked most likely to come - through the lively Olsson.

The 21-year-old Swede smashed a 20-yard shot off the underside of the bar before he stung the palms of Jensen with another cracking drive.

Burnley pressed again in the final 10 minutes and went agonisingly close to equalising when Danny Fox's fired in a low ball into the six-yard area that eluded the arriving Elliott and Fletcher.

Teams :

Burnley : Jensen, Alexander (Eagles 71), Duff, Mears, Cort, Jordan (Fox 43), McDonald, Elliott, Fletcher, Paterson (Blake 59), Nugent

Blackburn : Brown, Samba, Givet, Olsson, Salgado (Chimbonda 84), Jones, Dunn, Pedersen, Nzonzi, Roberts (Di Santo 74), Diouf (Emerton 65)