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

But the win came at a price with young striker Jason Gilchrist suffering a suspected serious knee injury.

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.

Gilchrist went off soon after 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 missed two early second half chances but Taylor was on target, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper after a one-two with Brad Jackson.

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

Manager Sean Dyche was pleased with the result, but of Gilchrist’s injury said: “That didn’t look too good, so we will await news on that.

“Sometimes players get up quickly, but he didn’t.”

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