Burnley 1 Huddersfield 0
Davis 48
WHAT a difference a week makes.
Eight days previous Burnley completed a hat-trick of defeats at Grimsby and were starting to look as though they couldn't buy a win.
But lifted by the tonic of a magnificent mid-week triumph over champions-elect Fulham, the Clarets did it again to register their first double of the season thanks to Steve Davis's 48th-minute header.
Stan Ternent's side didn't hit the dizzy heights of that victory over the First Division leaders but still had enough about them to secure the three points that at the least virtually assures them of First Division football next season and at the most maintains their interest in the play-offs.
The delighted manager said: "It was an extremely important victory for us. It gets us up to 48 points and we're getting very close to the points target I set the players now. I thought we looked a little leggy after three games in a week. We had quite a tough match at Grimsby and an extremely tough game against Fulham and I think it showed in one or two of the players.
"But nevertheless they stuck at it and I think we got a deserved victory.
"We've had a bit of an iffy run and now we've strung two wins together back-to-back and six points makes an unbelievable amount of difference. It gives the players confidence and it was very important."
Apart from Davis's priceless sixth goal of the season it was a tale of two keepers as Huddersfield's Nico Vaesen made a succession of fine blocks to deny Burnley a more comfortable win.
Nik Michopoulos was far less busy but his one meaningful save couldn't have been more critical as he secured the points in virtually the last second.
The Clarets keeper has just collected the January 'save of the month' award and he posted a late entry for the February competition with a plunging effort low down to his right-hand side to thwart Chris Lucketti just as the former Bury defender thought he had headed a leveller in the fifth minute of injury-time.
"Their goalkeeper made, if I'm not mistaken, five stops with his feet, good saves. We created a lot of chances and then right at the end my old player Chris Lucketti -- I would have strangled him if that had gone in -- got in a header and Nik made a good stop, so overall I think we shaded it," added Ternent, whose side shouldn't have had to rely on the heroics of their in-form last line of defence.
Even so, the manager wasn't complaining as he enjoyed successive wins for the first time since the start of December, when Burnley were in the top six rather than hoping to challenge again from a position six points behind with a game in hand.
"I'm just happy to win and 1-0 is good. It's three points," he said. "All you can do is create chances and the players go into that situation. Gareth Taylor could have had a hat-trick, Mooro could have had a couple and Micky Mellon got in at the end when the keeper made a good save.
"We played some decent stuff and certainly Glen and Weller down the right-hand side caused them problems."
Desperate not to let the momentum built up by the Fulham result go to waste, Burnley started well as Kevin Ball eased himself back into midfield and Gordon Armstrong returned to a three-man central defence in typically unflappable style to nullify the absence of Ian Cox.
With Paul Cook knocking the ball about nicely and Little and Weller continuing their prosperous partnership on the right flank the Clarets threatened immediately through Moore.
However, Vaesen's parry was to be a sign of things to come and the game soon deteriorated into a midfield scrap.
The Clarets were under little threat though against a relegation-threatened Town side that could be destined for the drop if they don't discover a cutting edge.
When a rare chance came their way Martin Smith shot at Weller and from the rebound Delroy Facey lashed wildly over the top when he should have done better.
"He said he caught it too well. I said you couldn't have or it would have gone in," said Huddersfield boss Lou Macari.
And Burnley soon regained the upper hand with the willing Gareth Taylor shaving a post and Moore having a decent penalty appeal turned down when his standing leg was taken away as he shaped to shoot.
Crucially half-time failed to dampen Burnley's fire and after Vaesen saved from Weller the short-corner routine that followed between Weller and Little allowed Davis to stoop at the near post and head home the winner off the underside of the bar.
The Clarets didn't make life easy for themselves thereafter as they surrendered possession too easily to invite pressure if few clear-cut chances for the visitors.
Taylor dropped back to help out following the departure of Mitchell Thomas with a gashed forehead and Lennie Johnrose and Micky Mellon provided fresh legs in midfield.
Mellon had a great chance to kill the game off at 2-0 but shot at Vaesen five minutes from time and the Belgian then made an excellent save to end Little's mazy run.
That left Burnley with no margin for error and they almost paid the price in the cruellest of fashions only for Michopoulos to make amends for his part in Crystal Palace's injury-time winner last time out at Turf Moor.
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