Burnley continued their recent revival at the hands of a sorry Wednesday side who face a battle to beat relegation.

Exceptional goals from Gareth Taylor, Glen Little and Ian Moore stretched Burnley's unbeaten run to nine games since starting the season in with four successive defeats.

It was undoubtedly the Clarets' best performance of the season, one which leaves the Owls rooted in the bottom three of the First Division after just one league win all season.

But manager Terry Yorath has his work cut out if he is to turn the tide, and the beleaguered fans are becoming increasingly disenchanted.

Yorath will surely question why his side did not start playing until they were 3-0 down, when they had the Clarets on the rack in the closing half hour.

Taylor gave Wales boss Mark Hughes a timely reminder of his striking prowess in the eighth minute.

Taylor, in the squad to face Italy in Cardiff in a European Championship qualifier in 11 days' time, celebrated the call by scoring the only goal of the first half with a powerful header which Kevin Pressman could only help on its way.

But it was Wednesday who finished the half the stronger and should at least have had an equaliser on the board.

Crucial misses

Danny Maddix, Gerald Sibon and Lloyd Owusu all went close before Shefki Kuqi missed from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

It proved crucial for within 15 minutes of the second half Burnley made the game safe, with Little first combining with Robbie Blake in the 57th minute, scything his way through the Wednesday defence before curling a low shot beyond Pressman.

There was little the veteran keeper could do about the clincher three minutes later as Moore whipped in a stunning right-foot 20-yarder into the top left-hand corner.

As a chorus of disppointed chants rang out from the home fans, Sheffield Wednesday set about at least achieving respectibility and Simon Donnelly pulled a goal back midway through the half - nine minutes after replacing Owusu.

Then came an avalanche of chances with Sibon blazing over from close range to his personal disgust, prior to Marlon Beresford taking the plaudits in his last game of his short-term contract following his summer release by Middlesbrough.

Beresford, due to start talks about a new extended deal early next week, produced stunning saves to deny Kuqi and Sibon twice as Burnley held on to the win.

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Sheff Wed: Pressman, Geary, Armstrong, Maddix, Bromby, Quinn, Knight, McLaren, Sibon, Kuqi, Owusu. Subs: Stringer, Soltvedt, Haslam, Donnelly, Westwood.

Burnley: Beresford, West, Branch, Gnohere, Cox, Stephen Davis, Little, Cook, Taylor, Blake, Ian Moore. Subs: Armstrong, Payton, Maylett, McGregor, Papadopoulos.

Referee: T Parkes (W Midlands)