JAMIE Vardy’s goal just 59 seconds after a Matt Taylor penalty miss consigned Burnley to a damaging defeat at home to relegation rivals Leicester City at Turf Moor.

Taylor hit the outside of the post from the spot in the 59th minute and Vardy quickly netted for Leicester at the other end after Tom Heaton had scrambled to prevent a Michael Duff own goal.

With Hull City winning at Crystal Palace, the defeat left Burnley five points adrift of safety with only four games left to play. Leicester’s fourth straight victory moved them above Sunderland and out of the relegation zone.

The Clarets are now 479 minutes - more than five matches – without a goal since George Boyd’s winner against Manchester City. Burnley went into the game without Sam Vokes because of a thigh problem, with Lukas Jutkiewicz stepping in for his first start since October.

Taylor, back from injury, made his first start since August in place of the suspended Ashley Barnes. The first half was hard fought but produced few chances, with Heaton saving comfortably from Leicester forward Vardy.

The closest Burnley came was when Duff headed down Kieran Trippier’s corner and Taylor’s flick was saved by Kasper Schmeichel.

Former Real Madrid and Inter Milan midfielder Esteban Cambiasso curled a free kick over the bar early in the second half. Leonardo Ulloa soon had to flick Duff’s goalbound header over the bar from a corner at the other end, but the crucial moments came just before the hour mark.

Danny Ings turned Robert Huth inside out before forcing a save from Schmeichel, but Paul Konchesky hesitated before clearing and Taylor nipped in before being felled by the left back.

Taylor stepped up to take the penalty, but struck it against the outside of the right-hand post.

It was a hugely costly miss, as 59 seconds later Marc Albrighton crossed from the right for Leicester and Duff inadvertently diverted the ball towards his own net.

Tom Heaton did just enough to stop the ball crossing the line but could only parry it for Vardy to turn home.

Leicester defender Huth came close to scoring an own goal to level the scores as he got a foot on Ben Mee’s fierce cross-shot, but Schmeichel made an important save to keep the ball out. Schmeichel then had to save an effort from substitute Ross Wallace from an Ings cross late on, before Heaton denied Vardy and

Leicester’s Bacup-born sub Matty James as the visitors looked to close the game out.

Burnley: Tom Heaton; Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee; George Boyd (Ross Wallace 71), David Jones, Scott Arfield, Matt Taylor (Michael Kightly 85); Lukas Jutkiewicz (Marvin Sordell 71), Danny Ings.

Subs not used: Matt Gilks, Michael Keane, Stephen Ward, Fredrik Ulvestad.

Leicester: Kasper Schmeichel; Marcin Wasilewski, Robert Huth, Wes Morgan, Paul Konchesky; Marc Albrighton (Ritchie De Laet 72), Danny Drinkwater (Matty James 77), Esteban Cambiasso, Andy King; Leonardo Ulloa (Andrej Kramaric 64), Jamie Vardy.

Subs not used: Mark Schwarzer, Matthew Upson, Riyad Mahrez, Chris Wood.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.