SEAN Dyche said Burnley's failure to take their chances proved costly as they lost 1-0 at fellow strugglers Newcastle United.

Callum Wilson's strike condemned the Clarets to a first league defeat in six games and Newcastle sealed a first win of a season to boost their own survival hopes.

Goal difference alone separates the bottom three sides with Burnley, Newcastle and bottom of the table Norwich City all locked on 10 points.

Sean returned to East Lancashire bemoaning his side’s failure to make the most of an encouraging first-half performance and a late flurry.

Asked to assess his side’s display, Dyche said: “First half, really good. We came here and we took the game on, which we wanted to do, opened them up on occasions.

“We created good-quality moments and chances without taking them - which is obviously a question mark during the season - so some of the quality was really pleasing.

“Goals change the feel of games, not just the scoreline, and it did for them. It gave them something to hang on to and it changed the feel in the stadium.”

Former Clarets boss Eddie Howe saw his side outplayed and second best for long periods in front of a crowd of 51,948 at St James’ Park but made the most of a slice of good fortune when Wilson blasted home his sixth goal of the season after goalkeeper Nick Pope had dropped the ball at his feet.

Burnley mustered the first attempt on goal when Maxwel Cornet ran on to Chris Wood’s sixth-minute knock-down but dragged his effort wide and Johann Gudmundsson rattled Martin Dubravka’s right post with a fierce shot seven minutes later with Jamal Lewis appealing in vain for a free-kick.

The Magpies were not seeing enough of the ball to establish any momentum and what possession they did enjoy they wasted to allow Burnley to counter-attack, Cornet stretching Dubravka with a glancing 21st-minute header.

Miguel Almiron blazed high and wide and Jonjo Shelvey’s touch let him down on the edge of the box as Newcastle grew increasingly frustrated, but it took a timely intervention by full-back Charlie Taylor to prevent Wilson from meeting Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross on the volley with 29 minutes gone.

Cornet’s limping departure 14 minutes before the break provided an unexpected solution to one of the home side’s problems, but their inability to put together a cohesive attack simply served to hand the ball back to the opposition with monotonous regularity.

However, they received the helping hand they needed five minutes before half-time when England international Pope spilled Joe Willock’s cross as he came through a crowd of players and Wilson shifted the ball before smashing it into the roof of the net, with the keeper’s appeals for a foul going unheeded.

Cornet’s replacement Matej Vydra might have levelled in first-half stoppage time, but skied his attempt after slipping as he controlled Matthew Lowton’s cross.

Jay Rodriguez thought he had levelled seven minutes from time, an offside flag and a concerted defensive effort ensured Newcastle’s day was not ruined.