ON a night of nerves and noise at Turf Moor Burnley kept their destiny in their own hands thanks to a late, late show against Middlesbrough.

Time looked to be running out on the Clarets in stoppage time but Michael Keane bundled Matty Taylor’s corner over the line to make it 20 games unbeaten and keep hold of their spot in the top two.

It had looked like Sean Dyche’s side were set to drop to third with Middlesbrough 1-0 up and Brighton running riot on the south coast, but this team never know when they’re beaten and they took the roof off Turf Moor in the 91st minute.

It was just rewards for a second half performance of intensity and desire from Burnley, and for the home fans who responded to Dyche’s calls to make Turf Moor a fortress against the league leaders.

Burnley might not have the league title in their own hands any more, but the silverware is a mere added bonus once promotion has been achieved.

And it’s a step closer after this late show, which might have killed the mood at the Amex Stadium as another demolition job from Brighton wasn’t enough to get them inside the top two.

With the Seagulls still having to travel to Middlesbrough on the final day, Burnley are in a strong position as they close in on an immediate return to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka had lit a fuse under an already huge occasion on Monday as he attempted to turn up the pressure on Sean Dyche and the Clarets.

Karanka’s comments earned him a frosty reception from the Turf Moor faithful, but Burnley can put the pressure back on Boro with a win over Preston on Friday that would temporarily take them back to the top of the table.

Joey Barton was never going to want to miss out on an occasion such as this, and Burnley weren’t going to want be without him, so it was no surprise to see the influential midfielder had overcome the calf injury that saw his involvement at Birmingham limited to the first half, while Sam Vokes returned to the starting line-up after shaking off the groin injury which had kept him out at St Andrew’s.

Burnley settled quickly, earning three successive corners which came to nothing, but it was the visitors who had the first serious attempt as Albert Adomah rattled the crossbar from 20 yards after Stewart Downing’s corner had been headed clear by Keane, before Jordan Rhodes could only glance a diving header wide after a wonderful cross from Gaston Ramirez.

The Clarets first real sighting of goal came in the 29th minute and they should have been ahead.

Sam Vokes did brilliantly to take Tom Heaton’s goal-kick down on his chest and find Andre Gray, who played in Scott Arfield on the left edge of the area, but he blazed a shot wide from 12 yards.

The first chance of the second half saw Vokes pull a shot wide from 20 yards, before Adomah sliced an effort wide from a similar distance at the other end after a rapid break from Ramirez.

Burnley had improved for the break and were playing with a much greater intensity in the second half, and as Turf Moor turned up the noise on the hour Barton headed Matt Lowton’s corner over from 12 yards.

A set-piece was looking then most likely route to goal and so it proved on 69 minutes.

Downing’s deep free-kick was flicked on by Daniel Ayala and Rhodes was first to the ball inside the six-yard box, poking it beyond Heaton.

Burnley looked to hit back in the final 20 minutes as Vokes headed Lowton’s cross over and George Boyd’s goalbound shot from inside the area was blocked by Ritchie De Laet.

Lloyd Dyer, Ashley Barnes and Matty Taylor all come in the closing stages and Taylor saw a 25-yard free-kick deflected off the wall and agonisingly wide in the 88th minute.

Six added minutes gave Burnley hope and Turf Moor erupted when Taylor’s corner was bundled home at the back post by Keane for his fifth goal of the season.