Sean Dyche claimed Bolton’s match programme had fuelled his Burnley players’ desire to win their Lancashire derby at the Reebok as the second-placed Clarets moved three points clear of QPR in the race for automatic promotion.

The decisive goal came from Sam Vokes who latched onto Scott Arfield’s cross in the 58th minute to score his 16th of the season from close-range. It was enough to give Burnley their first win at Bolton in 29 years and seven attempts.

Afterwards, Dyche turned up for his post-match press conference carrying a copy of the programme and suggested it had been less than respectful about his team and their achievements this season.

He read some of them out and said: ‘As if we haven’t got enough fuel as a group to win a local derby and then the programme gives you some more. I just took a few of the quotes and showed it to some of the players.

‘It was a really big win for us tonight. The players are relentless in the way they’re going about their business.’

Dyche’s side went into the game unbeaten in the Championship since Boxing Day – coincidentally the last time Bolton won in the league – and the Burnley boss was able to name an unchanged starting line-up for the fourth time in 15 days.

But it was Bolton who showed more determination and invention in the first half, David Wheater overstepping the mark slightly on his first appearance since September when he was booked for an early foul on Danny Ings.

Lee Chung-yong nearly put the home side ahead when he arrived to meet Chris Eagles’s low cross from left and his effort took a deflection off defender Ben Mee before looping up onto the bar with goalkeeper Tom Heaton beaten.

Burnley struggled to contain on-loan striker Lukas Jutkiewicz and Liam Trotter sent a glancing header wide from Alex Baptiste’s cross before Eagles tested Heaton with an ambition attempt from 30-yards out.

Burnley’s opportunities were few and far between but the best of them fell to Arfield courtesy of a wonderful reverse pass from Ings, and he should have done better than volley wide from the edge of the area.

Whatever Dyche said to his players at half-time appeared to have worked because they began the second half looking more like a team who started the night 27 points above their neighbours.

Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan was forced to make a smart save from David Jones moments after the restart, but he could do little about Vokes’s winner.

Dougie Freedman responded to going behind by sending on substitutes Mark Davies and Andre Moritz on the hour mark but Moritz lasted just 11 minutes before he had to make way for Neil Danns.

Much to the frustration of the supporters, Bolton never looked like breaking down a Burnley side who have conceded just 24 league goals all season.

The final whistle was greeted with more boos from fans who have not seen their team win for the last eight league games.

It has heaped more pressure on Freedman who said: ‘We were the better team in the first half but you have to take the lead when you’re on top — I thought we deserved a point.’

In contrast, the jubilant Burnley fans serenaded Dyche with a chorus of ‘Ginger Mourinho’.

The promised land of the Premier League beckons once again.

—Daily Mail