Jamie Vardy boosted Leicester’s bid for Premier League survival and pushed Burnley closer to relegation as the forward struck moments after Matt Taylor’s penalty miss in a vital 1-0 victory at Turf Moor on Saturday.

Vardy netted a scrappy winner on the hour in the immediate aftermath of Taylor’s spot-kick hitting a post as Leicester enjoyed a double dose of good fortune.

After looking almost certain to go down just weeks ago, a run of four successive victories has catapulted Leicester out of the relegation zone.

Nigel Pearson’s team are one point ahead of third bottom Sunderland and a great escape could be on the cards, while a return to the second tier seems inevitable for Burnley.

The Clarets are rooted to the bottom of the table, five points from safety with only four matches left, after a sixth defeat in their last eight games.

Burnley had failed to score in any of their previous four matches and had notched only once in their last seven games.

Desperate to end Burnley’s goal drought, boss Sean Dyche turned to Lukas Jutkiewicz, who was making his first Premier League start in six months after Sam Vokes was ruled out due to injury.

Jutkiewicz’s return almost got off to the worst possible start when he blocked a cross with his arm as he tried to head clear, but the striker was able to breathe a sigh of relief as Leicester’s penalty appeals were waved away.

Vardy had led Leicester’s penalty complaints and he went close to opening the scoring with a neat turn and shot that forced Clarets goalkeeper Tom Heaton into action.

Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel then scrambled to keep out a corner that nearly crept in after being missed by Jutkiewicz and Taylor.

The Foxes went close through Esteban Cambiasso’s free-kick early in the second half before Michael Duff headed just over for Burnley.

Burnley had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Paul Konchesky’s foul on Taylor conceded a penalty.

But former West Ham defender Taylor, making his first start since August after an injury-plagued campaign, saw his spot-kick cannon off a post.

And to compound Taylor’s misery, Leicester went straight up the other end to take the lead in the 60th minute when Marc Albrighton crossed and Duff’s attempted clearance trickled towards his own goalline, where Vardy pushed the ball in with his knee.

Vardy almost added a second late on, but the damage had already been done and Taylor’s face was a picture of anguish when he was substituted in the final minutes.