KEN BATES might want to make a habit of not watching Leeds United if every time he fails to take his seat in the stand, Kevin Blackwell’s team secure maximum points in their quest for promotion. The Leeds chairman chose to catch a flight back home to Monaco when his side were three goals down before half-time away to Southampton last weekend before coming back to win 4-3.

Bates remained absent last night and the outcome was the same as Leeds rode their luck against a stubborn Burnley team to grind out an industrious win courtesy of second-half goals from David Healy and Robbie Blake.

Healy, the Northern Ireland forward, broke the stalemate from the penalty spot after 53 minutes when Michael Duff had fouled Eddie Lewis. Blake, the former Burnley forward, put the outcome beyond doubt with a delightful free kick 21 minutes from time to end Burnley’s sequence of four victories and cement his team’s position in the top four of the Coca-Cola Championship.

Burnley squandered several chances to punish Leeds before the interval, Frank Sinclair, Nathan Dyer and James O’Connor failing to capitalise on their team’s dominance. “Robbie Blake was the difference between the two sides,” Steve Cotterill, the Burnley manager, said. “I thought he was fantastic. I won’t be telling him this, though, but I’m sure I’ll get a text from him in the next couple of days.

“We feel hard done by. I thought we were the better team, but our final ball and finishing were both poor.”

LEEDS UNITED (4-4-2): N Sullivan — G Kelly, P Butler, M Kilgallon, D Harding — D Healy (sub: F Richardson, 79min), S Derry, L Miller, E Lewis — R Blake (sub: D Pugh, 88), R Hulse. Substitutes not used: I Bennett, S Gregan, J Douglas. Booked: Healy, Miller.

BURNLEY (3-5-2): B Jensen — J McGreal, F Sinclair, K Lowe — M Duff (sub: W Elliott, 79), J Spicer (sub: D Karbassiyoon, 79), M Hyde, J O’Connor, J Harley — A Akinbiyi, N Dyer. Substitutes not used: G O’Connor, G Noel-Williams, L Grant. Booked: Jensen, McGreal.

Referee: T Bates.