Jeff Hendrick hit a 74th-minute winner to ensure Sean Dyche celebrated five years in charge at Burnley with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Turf Moor.
Dyche continues to be linked with the managerial vacancy at Everton and he again did his rising stock no harm as his side displayed the greater industry after half time to force a breakthrough in a game low on chances and quality.
Hendrick enjoyed an early opening entirely out of keeping with what was to follow, while Ayoze Perez was unable to find the net on a rare occasion when his partnership in attack with Joselu functioned.
After Hendrick s strike, Newcastle substitute Isaac Hayden and Javier Manquillo went close as the away team belatedly rallied in stoppage time but Burnley held out to ensure their manager s future will remain a hot topic.
Burnley s fourth win of the season moves them up to seventh in the table, with Newcastle dropping to ninth after having an unbeaten sequence of three matches broken.
2 Jeff Hendrick has scored two goals in his last four Premier League games, as many as he managed in his previous 35 games. Opener.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Hendrick s first sight of goal arrived inside the first minute but dragged across the face after Ashley Barnes flicked on a free-kick pumped forward by goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Newcastle were pinned back by their hosts during the opening exchanges before a menacing run from Christian Atsu won a 10th-minute corner. Burnley failed to clear and the Ghana winger prodded over.
Rob Elliot was backpedalling and held on when Robbie Brady looked to catch him out from the left channel as the half-hour mark approached, while the Newcastle keeper was pleased to see Barnes header flash wide when a cross deflected up invitingly off DeAndre Yedlin.
Atsu continued to look the most likely of Rafael Benitez s attackers to find the breakthrough and darted forward to have a shot blocked by Matt Lowton five minutes before half time.
Pope was the first goalkeeper to be genuinely extended after 50 minutes when Perez latched on to Joselu s clever lay-off and drew a fine stop away to the Burnley man s left.
The game settled into a pattern of Burnley forcing the issue and Newcastle looking to harness pace on the break by the time the final 20 minutes arrived and Dyche s men were rewarded for diligently probing their resolute opponents.
Jack Cork orchestrated a sweeping attack through midfield, only to be denied sharply by Elliot. Johann Gudmundsson was alive to the possibilities from the loose ball and whipped a brilliant cross to the far post, where Hendrick took a touch and slammed home.
Joselu arrowed a drive through James Tarkowski s legs and wide at the other end, with the Clarets enduring further tense moments in stoppage time when Pope made a fine save to keep out Hayden s drive and Manquillo glanced over from the subsequent set-piece.
Barnes almost made it two before those close shaves as the hosts secured a valuable victory, although the Burnley faithful will once again cast anxious glances towards events at Goodison Park when their celebrations have died down.
Key Opta Stats:
Burnley have won four of their last five home league matches against Newcastle (D1).
Newcastle have now lost their last 12 away league matches played on a Monday, a run that stretches back to December 2012.
Hendrick s two Premier League goals this season have earned the Clarets four points – only Raheem Sterling s goals (for Manchester City) have earned more points in the Premier League this season (five).
Newcastle have conceded fewer first-half goals than any other Premier League side this season (one) and have only conceded one first-half goal in their last 13 Premier League games.
The Magpies have not won any of their last 20 Premier League matches when they have conceded first (D5 L15).
