DANNY Ings couldn’t have failed to be impressed on his return to Turf Moor.

Cruelly laid up for around six months as the latest in an ever increasing list of football’s cruciate knee ligament victims, the striker went back to Burnley to run the rule over his old club from the comfort of the James Hargreaves Stand hospitality suites.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But while Clarets fans were pleased to see their former favourite and new England international, it was Gray who grabbed the attention - and the goals.

There are similarities between the 24-year-old and the man he was brought in to replace.

Both possess a keen eye for goal and a willingness to work hard. But where Ings had a speed of thought which contributed to carving open defences in the promotion season, it is Gray’s physical power and pace that is now striking fear into back lines as Burnley bid to plot another path to the Premier League.

He took on Dorian Dervite in the first half and had no right to beat the Bolton defender to Ben Mee’s long clearance. He had a few yards to catch up, yet Gray managed to get into a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

The goal did not come for him on that occasion.

But Gray does not give up. And he reaped the reward for his continued endeavours with two fine second half strikes.

The first came after a good save from Ben Amos.

Burnley kept the ball alive in the final third and when Scott Arfield’s shot was parried by the keeper Gray had got himself into the right place to slot home the rebound into an empty net.

The second strike was deadly, after more good work from Arfield in the build-up.

A link-up with strike partner Sam Vokes almost brought a hat-trick.

It would have been a first for the former Luton hotshot in the Football League. But you suspect this won’t be the last time he has the opportunity.

“He’s a player who’s adapting and learning,” said manager Sean Dyche of his £6million record signing.

“There’s no pressure on him, we certainly don’t work in that environment here. From the outside, of course, I understand that. But with us it’s about players adapting and learning in the group what they do, working hard for what they do.

“Usually if you get that right, it doesn’t guarantee you anything but it gives you a better chance. He knows he’s in a good environment here and he’s certainly adapted and enjoying that well.

“He’s young and learning, it’s a big challenge every week. It was a big challenge in the move for a young man, but he’s got a bit of fearlessness in him and I like that.”

The pricetag - double Burnley’s previous top spend - is already looking like a steal, while the partnership with Sam Vokes is full of promise, with the pair growing more in tune with each other every game.

Arfield’s presence back out wide is having a positive influence on the front men too, not least Gray on this occasion with the Scot heavily involved in the making of both goals.

Joey Barton might not have had the best game by his standards, but having him in the side has given Arfield the licence to be more creative down the flanks - both left and right, after George Boyd went off with an apparent ankle injury.

Arfield might have had his first of the season too after some lovely one-touch football with Vokes around the edge of the box, while Vokes had a shot cleared off the line by David Wheather, with Amos beaten.

They were highlights of a largely uneventful first half that Bolton had the better of for the opening half-hour or so, before injury to Jay Spearing forced a change, although an early fingertip save from Neil Danns was the only real test for Tom Heaton.

But Bolton have failed to score in more than half of their Championship games now, and once Burnley got their noses in front 10 minutes into the first half, any threat Neil Lennon’s side possessed diminished. The Clarets thought their luck was out when Gray’s initial shot was superbly saved by Amos, but Bolton did not deal with the danger and Burnley seized their chance.

Amos saved again, this time from Arfield to the left of the box, but his parry fell invitingly for Gray to bury.

In the absence of Boyd and before Matt Taylor came on to replace him Bolton tried to use their one-man advantage but Liam Feeney fired into the side netting.

Back up to full strength, Burnley bossed this mini-derby - the pre-cursor to Saturday’s big one at Ewood Park. Gray got in the mood with his second.

Arfield wrestled possession back inside his own half and charged forward, coming out of another challenge with the ball before releasing Gray who, completely composed, thundered his shot past Amos.

There was no stopping that one, but he did prevent the hat-trick with Gray at full stretch at the far post from Vokes’ inviting delivery.

Tendayi Darikwa preserved the clean sheet with a goalline clearance from Wheater.

But this was Gray’s day.