trouble this term.

The Clarets remain one place and one point outside the bottom three after shipping two early goals in losing to Newcastle.

Sam Vokes halved the deficit with a brilliant header five minutes before the break but it wasn’t enough to earn a point.

Indeed, the Clarets survived two let offs as Matt Ritchie somehow missed an open goal from two yards while sub Joselu hit the post late on.

Joe Hart twice came up for late corners as Burnley, with a hint of desperation, tried to find a leveller but the visitors who held on.

This fixture was also a Monday night clash last term and on that occasion Burnley found a way to win.

It is a trait that needs recapturing ahead of what looks a pivotal trip to Crystal palace on Saturday.

There was not much in this contest which for large parts was devoid of real quality.

But Newcastle took their early chances and thwarted a Burnley side who lacked creativity.

Kick off had been delayed by half an hour after referee’s assessor Eddie Wolstenholme, who lives in Blackburn, collapsed in the tunnel.

When play did get underway it took Newcastle just four minutes to forge ahead, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.

The Clarets failed to clear a corner and Fernandez tried his luck from 20 yards with his effort flicking off home skipper Ben Mee and dropping into the net past a stranded Hart.

Burnley enjoyed plenty of possession in the early stages but were too often ponderous in possession and Newcastle took advantage of the malaise to double their lead on 23 minutes.

Ritchie worked a short corner and his curling cross was met by Ciaran Clark who was allowed far too much space to glance into the far corner.

The home side were struggling to find any rhythm but out of nowhere Vokes handed them a route back into the game five minutes before the interval.

Mee hit a diagonal cross from the left back position and he Welshman got there ahead of Clark to guide a powerful, perfect header into the net from 18 yards.

The goal galvanised the home side and Wood came close to levelling before the break when his 16-yard rasping drive from Vokes’ knockdown was well saved by Dubravka.

Burnley should have started the second period on the front foot, boosted by their goal. But instead it was Newcastle who were dictating play and the Clarets survived a huge let off five minutes in.

Robbie Brady gave the ball away on the edge of the box and DeAndre Yedlin advanced into the area ahead of Charlie Taylor. The Clarets full back was perhaps fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty on the American with his lunging challenge and the ball ran to Ritchie at the far post who somehow screwed his shot wide from two yards with the goal gaping.

Wood had a shot on the turn which was comfortable for Dubravka before  he volleyed over from Aaron Lennon’s knockback when he should have hit the target on 75 minutes

Against the run of play Newcastle almost put the game to bed when Joselu, played in by a neat reverse Ayoze Perez pass, struck the base of the post with a low effort.

Burnley tried to rally late on but to no avail and the Clarets must now learn their lessons ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park.