SCOTT Arfield struck a stunning late winner as the Clarets snatched all three points against Everton for a third Premier League win of the season.

Sam Vokes had handed Burnley a first half lead, but they were on the back foot for most of the second half and Yannick Bolasie equalised.

But with time running out Arfield stayed calm to drill home a winner after Johann Berg Gudmundsson had hit the crossbar.

Steven Defour had already been ruled out for the Clarets, with Arfield coming in to replace the Belgium midfielder, but George Boyd was also an absentee as he struggled to recover from a knock picked up at Southampton last weekend. That meant a first league start since January for Michael Kightly.

Michael Keane and Ben Mee have struck up a good understanding since they were partnered together at centre half nearly 10 months ago, but they left the clearance to each other inside two minutes and allowed Kevin Mirallas to pick their pocket. Both were grateful to Tom Heaton, who bailed them out with a good save from the Belgian’s shot from 10 yards out.

It was a bright opening from both sides in the autumn sunshine. Burnley won a corner when Arfield’s shot was deflected behind, and from Gudmundsson’s delivery Kightly turned a shot over on the stretch at the back post.

Heaton had already made a league high 39 saves this season and after his early stop from Mirallas he added two more before the quarter hour was up, palming away efforts from Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley.

The Clarets had shown flashes going forward and when they look the lead it was a lovely team move that created the opening.

Gudmundsson flicked a delicious ball into Arfield’s path 40 yards from goal and the Canada international sidestepped Ashley Williams to break clear. It had looked like the move was ending tamely when Arfield’s scuffed shot from the edge of the area took a deflection, but Marteen Stekelenburg needlessly threw a palm at it and only teed it up for Vokes to tap into an empty net for his third goal of the season.

Despite having taken the lead Burnley started the second half sloppily and they paid the price before the hour mark when the visitors levelled.

It all came from what should have been a Clarets chance, but Vokes’ lay-off to Kightly was short. From there Gareth Barry threaded a ball to Lukaku, but Mee misjudged his effort at cutting it out and allowed the striker to burst clear before Bolasie took over and lashed a shot across Heaton and into the corner of the net.

Everton had taken control in the second half and Lukaku set to put them in front twice only to be denied by last-gasp interventions. First Keane poked Seamus Coleman’s low cross behind with the Belgian waiting to apply the finishing touch, and then Heaton stretched to tip Bolasie’s cross away when Lukaku looked set to head home from three yards out.

The Clarets may have been hanging on but they struck the decisive blow in the final minute. Gudmundsson’s curling effort beat Stekelenburg and hit the bar, but Arfield was on hand to bury the rebound with a smart left-footed finish across the goalkeeper.

Burnley: Tom Heaton; Matt Lowton, Michael Keane, Ben Mee, Stephen Ward (Jon Flanagan 81); Dean Marney, Jeff Hendrick; Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Scott Arfield, Michael Kightly (James Tarkowski 72); Sam Vokes (Patrick Bamford 89)

Subs not used: Paul Robinson, Tendayi Darikwa, Kevin Long, Aiden O’Neill

Everton: Maarten Stekelenburg; Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka (Enner Valencia 90), Ashley Williams, Bryan Oviedo; Ross Barkley, Gareth Barry, Idrissa Gueye (Tom Cleverley 81); Yannick Bolasie, Kevin Mirallas (Gerard Deulofeu 75), Romelu Lukaku

Subs not used: Joel Robles, Ramires Funes Mori, Mason Holgate, Aaron Lennon