TWO goals in the final five minutes gave Burnley a slightly flattering 3-0 win over Peter Grant's injury-ravaged Canaries at Turf Moor.

An already young City squad suffered a huge blow before kick-off when Darren Huckerby, named on the teamsheet, reportedly injured his back in the warm-up and had to be replaced by 16-year-old Kris Renton in the starting line-up.

A dull first half saw Dion Dublin hit the bar in the opening minutes before former City man Ade Akinbiyi headed Burnley in front with his side's first effort on target on the half-hour.

City's makeshift side battled well after the break, particularly after the introduction of Robert Earnshaw for the last quarter of an hour, but goals from Andy Gray and Wade Elliott in the 85th and 88th minute clinched the points for Burnley.

Adam Drury started for City at left-back despite the on-going dental problems which led to him being substituted within minutes of the start of Saturday's 2-1 triumph at Leicester.

With Jurgen Colin missing due to family commitments Andy Hughes once again filled in at right-back, with Jason Shackell partnered by Dion Dublin in the heart of the Canaries' defence. Robert Eagle was handed a start on the left of midfield, with Michael Spillane and Dickson Etuhu in the centre and Lee Croft on the right.

There was a surprise late change up front where Darren Huckerby had been on the teamsheet partnering Chris Martin - but when the teams ran out it was youngster Kris Renton who started with Martin.

Youngster Andrew Cave-Brown was joined by Academy player Bally Smart on the bench, with Robert Earnshaw joining them as he continues his comeback to full fitness after his long lay-off with a ruptured groin. There was some concern as Huckerby did not appear at first glance to have joined his team-mates on the City bench.

Despite what seems to have been a very late reshuffle City started brightly and nearly took the lead after four minutes when Dublin met Eagle's free-kick from the left with a side-footed volley which crashed against the Burnley bar.

A minute later Darren Huckerby gingerly made his way around the pitch to the City bench limping having injured his back in the warm-up - Patrick Bexfield having taken his place on the bench.

Ten minutes in Burnley mounted their best attack so far, Elliot blazing a 25-yard effort just wide of the post. Four minutes later a chancy lobbed pass-back inside the City box from Dublin saw Warner forced to slice a hurried volleyed clearance away unconvincingly, much to the delight of the Burnley fans.

Entertainment was in short supply, though a lively break on 20 minutes saw Martin latch on to a neat ball from Drury before drilling a low shot from 30 yards which Jensen dived to his right to save comfortably.  Hughes found himself going into the ref's book on the 24th minute with an ill-timed tackle of Burnley midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba.

The game was finally sparked into life on the half-hour when former Canary Ade Akinbiyi opened the scoring with the home side's first effort on target. Michael Duff was given far too much time to pick his spot with a cross from Burnley's right and Akinbiyi met it with a firm header inside Warner's left-hand post.

Four minutes later City had a golden chance to equalise, Croft doing well to beat his man on the right-hand touchline before cutting the ball back to Martin arriving in the box - but the young striker skied his shot well over from just inside the area.

As the game pushed towards the half-time interval City's chopped and changed side enjoyed their fair share of possession but were restricted mainly to nice-looking counter-attacks with little actual threat to the Burnley goal.

Half-time: Burnley 1, Norwich City 0

City started the second half with plenty of work to do as they kicked towards the small gathering of Canary faithful in the David Fishwick Stand.

The Canaries survived an early spell of Burnley pressure with two successive corners in the 49th minute dealt with well as the home fans urged their side on for a second goal.

The visitors first decent opening of the second half came in the 54th minute, Euthu threading the ball through to Martin who curled his shot a yard past the far post from 22 yards out. A minute later the home side responded with a chance of their own, Andy Gray squeezing a pass to Akinbiyi 10 yards from goal only for the big number 20 to hit his shot on the turn straight into the arms of Tony Warner.

Much like the first half, chances and entertainment were at a premium, and we had to wait until the 65th minute for the next chance. It came for Burnley, Akinbiyi  rolling the ball back to O'Connor who place a low shot goalwards from 16 yards which Warner did well to get down to and parry to safety.

A couple of minutes later and with one eye on exactly who might be available for Sunday's derby clash with Ipswich, City fans were given more concern as Dublin collapsed to the turf in some pain - but thankfully the veteran was able to rejoin play after receiving treatment from Physio Neal Reynolds.

In the 72nd minute Peter Grant made the evening's first substitution, Robert Earnshaw replacing Robert Eagle as the Canaries attempted to inject more threat into their attacks.

Three minutes later it nearly paid off as Earnie kept a deep cross from Hughes in play superbly and held it up well before picking out Etuhu on the edge of the area, but the big midfielder's ambitious drive from 25 yards was high and wide.

Burnley made a change of their own in the 76th minute, goalscorer Akinbiyi leaving the field to warm applause from the home fans to be replaced by Lafferty.

Norwich were starting to exert more pressure in the closing stages and Shackell dribbled 30 yards in the 78th minute before firing a useful effort just wide of the post. Two minutes later a clever backheel in the box from Earnshaw freed Martin to blast goalwards from a tight angle, but Jensen got down smartly to put the ball behind for a corner.

Croft's curling corner was a good one and Dublin rose above the Burnley defence to glance a great header towards the far corner, only for Jensen to again come to Burnley's rescue with an acrobatic diving save.

It was City's best spell of the match to date as Burnley looked increasingly anxious to cling on to their slender advantage and claim three invaluable points. Steve Cotterill made another change with five minutes of normal time remaining, Jones replaced by McCann.

But a minute later the game was effectively over as Burnley grabbed a killer second goal against the run of play. O'Connor blasted a superb 25-yard shot which crashed against the post with Warner beaten - and the rebound fell kindly for Andy Gray to slide home from close range.

Dion Dublin made way almost immediately for Academy player Bally Smart to come on, making his first team debut for the Canaries.

But the youngster could only watch as Burnley extended their lead in the 88th minute through Wade Elliott. Jon Harley crossed from the left and the ball fell to the unmarked Elliott, who had time and space to take a touch and crash home a low drive from 15 yards.

Cotterill made his final change as Turf Moor celebrated a perhaps slightly flattering scoreline, John Spicer coming on for Andy Gray.

NORWICH: Warner, Drury (C), Shackell, Huckerby, Croft, Dublin (Smart 86), Hughes, Etuhu, Eagle (Earnshaw 72), Spillane, Martin SUBS NOT USED: Gallacher, Cave-Brown, Bexfield.

BURNLEY: Jenson, Thomas, Harley, Duff, O'Connor, Jones (McCann 85), Gray (89), Elliott, Djemba-Djemba, Akinbiyi (Lafferty 76), Caldwell (C), SUBS NOT USED: Coyne, Coughlan.