LUKE O'Neill scored twice as Burnley beat St Mirren 3-0 in a behind closed doors game this afternoon, with Matt Taylor completing the win.

The Clarets, fielding a mixture of experience and youth, took the lead in the ninth minute as O'Neill headed in Stephen Ward's cross.

There was a blow for Burnley as young striker Jason Gilchrist was added to the list of attacking casualties in being replaced by Alex Whitmore with what looked like a knee injury following a 14th minute challenge.

O'Neill added his second just before the half-hour, with Ward again involved in the build-up. The defender's initial shot was parried but O'Neill, who started on the right of a four-man midfield, was on hand to finish.

St Mirren went close to reducing the deficit just before half-time but a deflected effort hit the crossbar and Alex Cisak was able to collect and maintain a 2-0 lead at the break.

Steven Hewitt started the second half brightly but was not able to convert two decent chances, first after receiving Whitmore's long diagonal and then unlucky not to hit the target with his left-foot shot.

But Taylor made it 3-0 soon after, playing a one-two with Brad Jackson before slotting the ball past the goalkeeper.

After resisting a spell of pressure from the home side Nathan Low hit the bar after linking with Fredrik Ulvestad, and Jackson saw his deflected shot loop just over.

BURNLEY: Cisak; Dummigan, Anderson, Keane, Ward (Lafferty 72) O'Neill, Hewitt, Taylor (Ulvestad 72), Jackson; Lowe, Gilchrist (Whitmore 15)