THE last time Sean Dyche watched Burnley in Cardiff he witnessed one of the worst defensive displays of the season as the Clarets were thumped 4-0.

They were in between managers and the former Watford boss was swiftly appointed as Eddie Howe’s successor soon afterwards.

It is fair to say Burnley have seen dramatic improvements at the back since then.

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But with a lack of firepower in the continued absence of Sam Vokes they rarely looked like ending a long wait for a win in this pocket of South Wales.

The Clarets last tasted victory in the Welsh capital in April 2000.

There have been seven draws since then, and with the Bluebirds already recording the same number of stalemates this season there was every chance of another.

Few would have backed that outcome though when, after 84 minutes, Cardiff were leading 2-0 through two set piece switch-offs - a flashback to those defensive frailties before the Dyche era.

Cue Rouwen Hennings. Having started against Brighton last week and been unlucky not to score, the German would have been disappointed to be left out of the line-up in favour of Chris Long at the Cardiff City Stadium, while Vokes gave additional rest to his groin strain.

But that disappointment was turned into determination when he was given his chance for the final 15 minutes.

With just five of the 90 to go, the unmarked striker received the ball from George Boyd and shifted his feet quickly to fire a delightful shot on the turn past David Marshall.

He had the chance of a free header soon after, but couldn’t steer it on target.

Time was running out.

But Dean Marney has waited a long time to make his comeback from cruciate knee ligament damage, and his patience paid off when, with just seconds remaining, he made a short burst down the right to deliver a cross onto Michael Keane’s head.

His downwards header looked to be straying off target. But as Matthew Connolly tried to get back on the line to defend Burnley’s late charge, he succeeded only in turning it into his own net for the equaliser.

It was last gasp, but the least Burnley deserved, considering they should have been awarded a first half penalty and been playing against 10 men when Lee Peltier scooped George Boyd’s goalbound shot over the bar.

Boyd appealed relentlessly to referee Darren Drysdale, backed up by surrounding team-mates, but the match official did not sway from his opinion that Boyd had missed the target and it was a goal kick.

He might not relish the replays. And the Clarets could be in for some video nasties of their own this week when they analyse the goals against.

For no sooner had an injustice been served at one end that salt was rubbed into the wounds at the other.

Keane was penalised for a foul on the otherwise well contained Kenwyne Jones.

Joe Ralls clipped the free kick into the box, where Aron Gunnarsson climbed above Keane to nod down and beyond the dive of former Cardiff keeper Tom Heaton in the 41st minute.

Russell Slade’s side had earlier forced Heaton into a couple of fingertip saves, but Burnley had carved out the best two chances. Both had fallen to Boyd, who had his best game.

The first was blocked on the line by Connolly from Gray’s strong run and good delivery, the second thwarted by an unpunished Peltier’s palm. But it was the Bluebirds who led at the break.

Dyche had spoken about different attacking options despite the absence of the injured Vokes, Ashley Barnes and Lukas Jutkiewicz, and made a change just before the hour with Matt Taylor replacing Long, and Scott Arfield moved to play off Gray.

But it was Cardiff who scored again after also making a switch up front, as Joe Mason replaced debutante loanee Tony Watt.

Mason brought a save from Heaton, low to his left, and from Peter Whittingham’s corner Sean Morrison got above Keane to head in the second.

As the weather worsened, making the pitch increasingly heavy, it was hard to see where a goal would come from, let alone two.

The conditions had not been conducive for getting Gray and starter Long in behind.

Marney got his first taste of action since February to offer more penetration from midfield, and the pressure began to mount further on Cardiff when Hennings was brought on for Arfield to restore the 4-4-2.

Taylor’s low free kick first tested Marshall, but when Gray and Boyd combined down the left to set up Hennings there were nothing the goalkeeper could do to deny the German getting off the mark, and Burnley back in the game.

Panic began to sweep around the ground, and the home fans held their breath when four minutes of added time were announced.

And they were right to be concerned.

Burnley were relentless as the rain, and while they got lucky with the equaliser, they got their rewards.