Defeat for Burnley however is a real hammer-blow in their hopes to ensure Premier League football for a second season but they now have an awful lot to do and reality suggests that the dream is fading fast.
Burnley started brightly and forced Marcus Hahnemann into making saves from Chris Eagles and Graham Alexander.
Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen received a yellow card from referee Steve Bennett for hauling down striker Kevin Doyle.
The visitors took the lead through Matt Jarvis but the goal was another defensive calamity for Burnley who have made a regular habit of gifting their opponents soft goals.
In this instance right-back Tyrone Mears tried to head the ball back to Jensen but in nipped Jarvis to round the Burnley goalkeeper and score.
Burnley's reply came near the half-time interval when a Mears free-kick was headed across goal by Clarke Carlisle for striker David Nugent who was unfortunate to see his shot bounce up onto the crossbar.
The killer second goal arrived early after the restart when Martin Paterson failed to clear a corner from the right and French midfielder Adlene Guedioura struck a shot through a crowd of players and found the back of the net.
Clarets manager Brian Laws made a double substitution and it was a surprise to the majority of home supporters when one of the players replaced was influential wide man Eagles.
Doyle had an opportunity to further increase the lead but placed his shot narrowly beyond the far post. At the other end Burnley substitute Robbie Blake struck an upright with a low left-foot effort.
Burnley did manage to pull a goal back when Alexander drove his shot into the turf and substitute Steven Thompson headed beyond Hahnemann for his first ever Premier League goal.
That strike was too little too late and the result is a probable further nail in the coffin for Laws and his side.