Leicester's late double masks lack of true class

Burnley 1 Leicester City

Late goals from Paul Dickov and Trevor Benjamin enhanced Leicester's chances of automatic promotion back into the Premiership, without an insipid performance at Turf Moor ever suggesting that they belong there.

The second-placed team in the First Division were outplayed throughout and survived a barrage from Burnley and Robbie Blake in particular that had everything but accuracy. Blake, whose approach work can be so impressive, showed all his familiar failings in front of goal, especially during the second half when he missed a string of chances.

Leicester had only threatened on the occasional break but they snatched all three points when they scored twice from Muzzy Izzet corners in the last 12 minutes. Dickov bundled in the first for his 20th goal of the season and if that was not sufficiently against the run of play the substitute, Benjamin, rose unchallenged to head home another.

Even in injury time it took a Leicester player to show Burnley how to find the back of the net. The renowned own goal specialist, Frank Sinclair, met Glen Little's cross after a well-worked free-kick with the defender steering it past his own keeper, but it was too late to affect the outcome.

Burnley, with play-off ambitions of their own, had responded to their manager's criticism of two poor results in the league since the end of their cup run with a much improved performance.

"It's not just losing, it's how you lose," said Stan Ternent, who denied strongly that he had ever considered resigning. "We had the best chances of the game and we were in the ascendancy when they scored two goals from set pieces. You have to do better than that."

Burnley had dominated from the start, with Ian Moore and Blake both having excellent first-half chances. The second half developed almost into a siege, with Blake having a point-blank header and shot saved, a free-kick float over and he managed to miss the target on two other occasions.

Leicester hung on to escape with three points that could hasten their return to the top flight. "We're not there yet," said their manager Micky Adams. "But all we've got to do is keep winning."

They will have to try to do that over the next few weeks without the suspended Dickov and Brian Deane, who tore a hamstring in the first half but last night's resilience, if not the overall quality of the performance, bodes well.

Burnley (4-4-2): Beresford; West, Davis, Diallo, Gnohere (Papadopoulous, 81); Little, Weller, Cook (A Moore, 57), Briscoe (Grant, h-t); I Moore, Blake. Substitutes not used: Michopoulos (gk), McGregor.

Leicester City (4-4-2): Walker; Impey (Sinclair, 78), Elliott, Taggart, Davidson; Scowcroft, Izzet, McKinlay (Benjamin, 73), Stewart; Deane (Summerbee, 20), Dickov. Substitutes not used: Murphy (gk), Stevenson.

Referee: A Kaye (Wakefield)