THE Clarets are doing it the hard way in Europe.

Having been handed the toughest possible draws in their first two qualifying rounds they have taken the toughest route to progress as well.

After navigating extra-time to get past Aberdeen they were taken the distance by Istanbul Basaksehir.

But Jack Cork has been the Clarets’ king of extra-time in the Europa League. It was his header that silenced the Dons at Turf Moor two weeks ago and he repeated the trick, without the need to quieten an empty away end, to give Burnley Turkish delight.

Now the journey rolls on the Greece and a tie with Olympiakos. The Clarets are one step away from the group stage.

The extra fixtures could pose further selection headaches for Sean Dyche though. It was a surprise to him make six alterations here but he’s been true to his word in prioritising the Premier League, even at this early stage of the season.

The decision to pair Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes up front certainly suggested the Clarets would make life difficult for the visitors. Istanbul coach Abdullah Avci had complained about the long ball tactic a week ago and on the eve of the game he sat at Turf Moor and suggested Burnley would again play an ‘old English style’.

It was a stereotype Barnes was happy to reinforce in the early stages. He looked to barge over Alexandru Epureanu on the touchline 10 minutes in, but when the whistle didn’t go he broke into the box but slashed his shot into the side-netting from an angle.

Barnes then left Irfan Kahveci on the floor in the centre circle to provoke more complaints from Avci, before the striker won a free-kick from Junior Caicara in the front of the dugouts, only for the Brazilian right-back to stay down. While the Basaksehir bench complained about Burnley’s physicality, Dyche was raising his eyebrows at the play acting from the visitors.

In between it all Bardsley had gone close, forcing Mert Gunok to claw away a rising 25-yard drive. The Clarets continued to look the more likely, Aaron Lennon collecting a poor Gunok cross and skipping past three challenges into the box, only for the goalkeeper to make amends.

Having offered little for 40 minutes Basaksehir finished the half strongly. Twice Edin Visca forced Joe Hart into saves, the second a fine, low stop from close range.

Hart then plunged to his left to claw Kerim Frei’s 20-yarder away, before stopping Gael Clichy’s deflected effort.

The away end may have been empty but the 16,500 Clarets inside the ground were making plenty of noise early in the second half, trying to give Dyche’s men the upper hand with the game sat on a knife edge.

Hearts were in mouths just after the hour when Caicara found Visca again inside the box, but Hart was once more equal to the task, getting down low to touch the angled drive wide.

Burnley were struggling to rediscover control and the introduction of former Premier League marksman Emmanuel Adebayor was an unwelcome sight.

There were five minutes to go when Caicara’s cross found the striker in space 15 yards out, but he could only fire his volley high into the Cricket Field End.

Dyche had responded to the introduction of Adebayor by bringing some of his own heavyweights off the bench and both Chris Wood and Cork were involved in the goal early in extra-time.

Wood won the initial header before Jeff Hendrick fed the ball wide to Johann Berg Gudmundsson and then took the return pass by turning Kahveci and teeing up Cork who curled a fine 20-yard finish into the top corner.

There were still a few nervy moments to survive, with Adebayor sending headers over the bar and wide before Hart sealed victory with another wonderful save, getting down to keep out Visca’s header in the final minute.

Burnley: Joe Hart 9, Phil Bardsley 7, Kevin Long 7, Ben Gibson 7, Stephen Ward 7, Aaron Lennon 6 (Johann Berg Gudmundsson 58), Ashley Westwood 7 (Jack Cork 82), Jeff Hendrick 6, Charlie Taylor 7, Ashley Barnes 6 (James Tarkowski 120), Sam Vokes 6 (Chris Wood 82)

Subs not used: Adam Legzdins, Matt Lowton, Dwight McNeil

Istanbul Basaksehir: Mert Gunok, Junior Caicara, Manuel da Costa, Alexandru Epureanu, Gael Clichy, Emre Belözoğlu, Mahmut Tekdemir (Gokhan Inler 92), Edin Visca, Irfan Kahveci (Milos Jojic 109), Kerim Frei (Stefano Napoleoni 101), Riad Bajic (Emmanuel Adebayor 66)

Subs not used: Volkan Babacan, Joseph Attamah, Ugur Ucar, Ugur Ucar