MICHAEL Keane stayed ahead of the game in more ways than one.

The defender has started the season in healthy competition with left back Ben Mee, with the pair doing extra work on the training ground to add more goals to their game, as well as clean sheets.

The hard work paid off in one sense, with both scoring from corners to earn back-to-back wins for only the second time since their promotion season.

Mee scored first, directing a terrific header into the top right corner from David Jones’ delivery against the run of play.

But just as Bristol City responded to going behind, Keane reacted to his team-mate closing the gap in their personal ‘battle’ to 2-1 and climbed to thump in another well-placed Jones corner to restore the two-goal cushion, and give Burnley a 2-0 lead that had seemed unlikely in the first half-hour or so.

The shut-out was lost in the last minute.

But Burnley had done enough, without ever hitting top gear, to take the points from a new-look Ashton Gate.

You can only imagine the damage they are capable of when their strikers start firing.

Sam Vokes is the only one of the seven currently available to get off the mark so far, with one of the five headed goals from six scored to rescue a point at Leeds on the opening day.

That pattern did not look like being broken against Bristol City.

Newest striker Andre Gray was handed his debut against the team he had turned down before joining the Clarets.

The reception from the Robins fans was predictably hostile, but he was rarely in a position to silence them with Burnley struggling to service the front men, or even get out of their own half for prolonged spells in the first period.

Steve Cotterill’s City had started brightly and looked dangerous in possession.

Good defending under a barrage of balls into the box - both low and high as the Robins utilised the width of a five-man midfield - was Burnley’s saving grace.

And such solidity from Mee, Keane and co laid the platform for the pair to capitalise on set pieces in the opposite box before the break.

Manager Sean Dyche was gracious after the game, acknowledging the disparity in performance between the two teams in the opening period and admitting he was grateful to go into the break in front.

“We didn’t play well in the first half. I thought they were excellent for the first half an hour and arguably should have been in front,” he said.

“But the basics that we provide the team with are the tactical shape and the understanding of how they work as a unit, it kept us in the game and we nicked two very good set pieces against the feel of the game really.

“Overall I think with the second half performance I think we deserved to take the win.”

But Dyche was particularly sympathetic given the nature of it, given how many times he saw his side play well in the Premier League last season, only to come a cropper at corners themselves, most notably against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The boot was on the other foot this time.

“The delivery was excellent for both set pieces,” he continued. “Ben’s is a terrific header.

“He (Keane) is a young man learning, and all parts of the job - it’s not just in one box, it’s both boxes.

“I thought he was very good again, he’s very athletic, he’s got fast feet for a big fella. He’s a very good player and he’s maturing all the time.

“I speak to him a lot about the nuts and bolts as I call it, the kind of ugly details that fans don’t always see but I understand from being a centre half. He’s a lot better player than me, but I can still guide him on the nitty gritty side of the game and the positional sense. I think he’s applying himself well he’s growing with that as well.”

Mee had pounced first, after executing a vital block from Jonathan Kodjia, moments after right back Tendayi Darikwa had been equally brave to deny dangerman Bobby Reidl. Tom Heaton then grasped a header from the young midfielder on his return to his old club.

On the rare occasions Burnley had been able to venture forward moves had broken down.

But they were able to utilise a corner, with Mee rising above Mark Little for his first of the season.

The Robins were stunned, but reacted, and it needed another good save from Heaton to thwart Kodjia’s low strike before headmaster Keane doubled the advantage for his third.

The second half was more even, with neither keeper threatened, although the woodwork came to Burnley’s rescue when Derrick Williams took aim from distance.

Substitutes Jelle Vossen and Lukas Jutkiewicz had half chances. Jutkiewicz was injured soon after coming on and, with all substitutes used, battled his way through to the end as Kodjia’s consolation limped over the line deep into stoppage time.

Based on their first half dominance, it was the least they deserved.