SEAN Dyche claims Burnley will always be "a work in progress" in their annual battle to remain in the Premier League.

After a run of three successive defeats, the Clarets scraped a 1-0 win over Newcastle on a bitter East Lancashire day at Turf Moor that was hit by rain and sleet.

It was an ugly game, with Chris Wood's 58th-minute header for his seventh goal of the season the difference between the two sides.

But within it was a performance that delighted Dyche a week after his side had been hammered 5-0 at Tottenham, sparking some talk of doom and gloom after a tough seven days for the Clarets.

"The margins are often tight for us," said Dyche.

"We're always a work in progress. It's not throwing money at it and bringing all sorts in.

"It's constant development, it's little edges, little increments.

"A lot is down to the players, just their knowhow of the Premier League and how they keep getting more and more experience within it.

"I liked our calmness. People start writing things about bad runs, tough runs, but there was a calmness to the performance, and I was really pleased with

that.

"I thought they put in a good performance, knowing it was an important game because we have had a tough run, but we handled that and delivered."

Prior to the thrashing by Tottenham, Burnley had lost their last two home matches - 2-0 to Crystal Palace and 4-1 to Manchester City, that coming on the back of two straight 3-0 victories.

Aside from the calmness, Dyche also felt "there was an edge to our play. The couple of games before we didn't have that".

He added: "I said to the players last week (after the game at Spurs), 'Look, they're a good side, and we know that'.

"But there was a subservience, and you can't do that. Even if you know they are a good team with good players, you can't do that.

"Against Newcastle there was none of that.

"We had a forcefulness to our play, a deliberate edge to our play, and in the end it's got us a nice win.

"I don't think it was a game of amazing chances, but you've got to find a way of winning those games, and we're good at that.

"Over the time I've been here, we've been good at that, and I thought we edged it enough to win this one."