BURNLEY lost from 2-0 up for the second time in four days as Crystal Palace hit back to win at Turf Moor this afternoon.

The Clarets looked on course to climb as high as 12th in the table when they held a two-goal lead after 16 minutes thanks to Ben Mee and Danny Ings.

But Burnley lost 4-2 at Tottenham in the FA Cup on Wednesday after leading 2-0 early on, and they were beaten again as Dwight Gayle scored twice either side of Jason Puncheon’s equaliser.

The result meant the Clarets remained in 17th position in the Premier League.

Burnley were in front in the 12th minute when Kieran Trippier swung in a deep corner from the left flank and Palace keeper Julian Speroni was caught under the ball. Mee arrived late to head home from beyond the far post.

The lead was doubled only four minutes later as Joel Ward attempted to shepherd the ball out for a throw-in but Scott Arfield nipped in to dispossess him.

Palace appealed that the ball had gone out but play continued and Arfield provided a fine through ball for Ings to slot home his seventh goal of the season left footed past Speroni.

But the visitors pulled a goal back in the 28th minute when Wilfried Zaha, starting to cause problems since switching to the right flank, whipped in a dangerous cross that James McArthur was unable to turn in.

The ball dropped to Gayle at the far post and the striker fired an angled shot past Heaton and into the net.

Heaton then saved McArthur’s low 20-yard effort as Palace pushed for an equaliser, before Arfield had to divert Yaya Sanogo’s header just over the bar on the stroke of half time.

Palace’s leveller came only three minutes into the second period as Puncheon cut in from the left and fired low into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Burnley struggled to regain any momentum but did come agonisingly close to restoring their lead with 12 minutes left as Jason Shackell headed a free kick back into the danger area and fellow centre back Michael Keane chested down before seeing his volley cleared off the line by McArthur.

But Palace came equally close as Burney failed to completely clear a corner and Glenn Murray fired a volley against the post.

The visitors got their winner three minutes from time when Puncheon’s crossfield pass found the unmarked Gayle and the Palace forward controlled before sliding an angled shot into the far corner.

Burnley: Tom Heaton; Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee; George Boyd (Marvin Sordell 90), Dean Marney, David Jones (Ross Wallace 90), Scott Arfield; Ashley Barnes (Sam Vokes 73), Danny Ings. Subs not used: Matt Gilks, Michael Duff, Steven Reid, Michael Kightly.

Crystal Palace: Julian Speroni; Joel Ward, Scott Dann, Damien Delaney, Martin Kelly (Adrian Mariappa 83); Jason Puncheon, James McArthur, Joe Ledley, Wilfried Zaha (Adlene Guedioura 70); Yaya Sanogo (Glenn Murray 79), Dwight Gayle. Subs not used: Wayne Hennessey, Brede Hangeland, Jerome Thomas, Fraizer Campbell.

Referee: Phil Dowd.

Attendance: 17,872.