Tyrone Mears proved just as diligent as he slid in to take the ball away from Riise as the Norwegian burst clear.

BBC: CHOOSE A SPORT

Then, 10 minutes after the restart, the midfielder needlessly felled Tyrone Mears, who was cutting in from the right, fractionally outside the area.

BBC: Daniel Fox

Blackburn had been dominant up to that point and Cruz was denied an early goal when his near-post header from Bentley's corner was hacked off the line by Tyrone Mears.

BBC: Blackburn celebrate David Bentley's winner

The misses were punished when Burnley's record signing Fletcher ran on to a Tyrone Mears pass and ended a counter-attack by driving a left-foot shot in from the edge of the area.

BBC: Burnley 2-1 Birmingham

Nugent is likely to be the final Burnley signing of a transfer window that has seen them recruit David Edgar, Steven Fletcher, Tyrone Mears, Brian Easton, Richard Eckersley, Andre Bikey and Joe McKee.

BBC: Nugent seals loan move to Burnley

Tyrone Mears missed with a Burnley free-kick after the restart and Villa were almost level seconds later when Burnley failed to deal with Friedel's long clearance and Agbonlahor forced a good fingertip save from Jensen.

BBC: Burnley 1-1 Aston Villa

The hosts looked disjointed but took the lead when Tyrone Mears found Rodriguez 30 yards from goal, where a clever touch took the England Under-21 forward clear of centre-back Richard Keogh and gave him space to coolly lob onrushing keeper Westwood.

BBC: Burnley 2-2 Coventry