Jordan Beyer’s first goal for Burnley gave the Championship leaders a 1-0 victory over Coventry which extended their winning league run to seven matches.
The German defender headed home Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s corner with eight minutes left, just when it seemed the Sky Blues – who had been the better side in the first half – would weather a growing Burnley storm.
With the strong wind and driving rain at their backs, Coventry had the better of the opening 45 minutes, with Viktor Gyokeres showing why he is being eyed by Burnley – and a host of other clubs – in this transfer window.
As Burnley’s normally lethal attack stuttered and stalled, the Swedish striker led the line cleverly, with a combination of strength, touch and intelligence that gave the Clarets defence, weakened by injury to Taylor Harwood-Bellis, plenty of problems.
Gyokeres twice created chances for Jamie Allen in the opening 10 minutes by delaying his pass as the midfielder arrived in the box. The first was mishit straight at a defender and the second dragged wide.
Burnley simply could not find their usual rhythm and that was compounded by the fact skipper Jack Cork received a booking, his 10th of the season which will bring a two-match suspension.
That led boss Vincent Kompany to replace Cork with Gudmundsson at half-time to avoid any further damage.
Gyokeres and Ben Sheaf combined near halfway to fashion the best chance of the first half, sending Kasey Palmer racing through the heart of the Clarets defence but his shot was blocked by Ian Maatsen’s desperate lunge.
Gyokeres wasted a great chance of his own shortly after the break, latching on to Beyer’s under-hit back-pass and setting off for goal.
Goalkeeper Aro Muric did well to force him away from goal and Josh Brownhill sprinted back to get in a block just as the striker seemed set to add to his 12-goal tally for the season.
That sparked Burnley into life and when Gudmundsson was freed by Maatsen’s astute pass, his cross flashed across the face of goal to the normally deadly left foot of Manuel Benson but he could not keep his shot down.
Gudmundsson’s direct approach almost paid off again when his instant cross found Nathan Tella unmarked eight yards out but his header was well beaten away by keeper Ben Wilson.
Coventry were defending deep in the last 15 minutes and the pressure told when Gudmundsson’s corner picked out the run of Beyer to the near post and his downward header flashed past Wilson.
