Burnley 1-2 Sheff Wed

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Sheffield Wednesday gave themselves the perfect tonic for their midweek Worthington Cup semi-final at Blackburn by picking up three points at Turf Moor to stun promotion-chasing Burnley.

The struggling Owls were full value for their win as they made the Clarets pay for a lack-lustre performance.

And to compound Burnley's misery, it was the Owls recent signing Shefki Kuqi - a former target for Clarets boss Stan Ternent - who struck an injury-time winner, his first for the Yorkshire side.

The Clarets, with first-choice striker Gareth Taylor back in the side after an ankle injury, began brightly.

Ian Moore scored after a neat four-man move, but the goal was ruled out for off-side.

Taylor then went close in the 10th minute, but an alert Kevin Pressman in the Wednesday goal smothered his effort.

But soon afterwards Terry Yorath's side gave notice of their attacking intent when Kuqi turned in the box and fired narrowly wide.

And in the 21st minute Wednesday should have gone in front.

A bad defensive slip-up by Burnley skipper Ian Cox let in Paul McLaren, but the Owls midfielder shot wide from an acute angle when in the clear.

But in the 32nd minute Wednesday did take the lead.

A hopeful punt into the Burnley area fell to Kuqi and his air shot confused Nik Michopolous, leaving McLaren to atone for his earlier miss and gleefully hit home from barely four yards.

The home side almost gifted Wednesday a second goal within a minute of the restart when Arthur Gnohere's under-hit backpass set up Kuqi.

Clarets equaliser

Fortunately for the Clarets, Michopolous was quick to react and charged down Kuqi's effort.

Burnley were thrown a lifeline in the 75th minute when Ashley Westwood needlessly handled a West cross in the penalty area.

Taylor cooly despatched the penalty into the roof of the net past Pressman to draw his side level.

Burnley almost added a second within a minute through Maylett, but his low effort was well parried by Pressman.

With seven minutes injury time added on, Burnley pressed for a second goal, but it was Wednesday who scored the late winner.

Cox failed to clear Leigh Bromby's through ball and Kuqi made no mistake as he fired home superbly from 10 yards with his right foot.

Wednesday then got a penalty in the dying seconds when Gnohere pulled down Kuqi after he had broken through.

But Gerald Sibon's weakly-struck penalty was well saved by Michopolous.

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Burnley: Michopoulos, West, Branch, Cox, Gnohere, Ball, Grant, Briscoe, Alan Moore, Taylor, Ian Moore. Subs: Cennamo, Armstrong, Cook, Maylett, Papadopoulos.

Sheff Wed: Pressman, Broomes, Haslam, Westwood, Bromby, McLaren, Soltvedt, Sibon, Hamshaw, Kuqi, Ekoku. Subs: Quinn, Bonvin, Geary, Maddix, Roberts.

Referee: M Pike (Barrow-in-Furness)