West Ham United 1-0 Burnley

Michael Duff's foul on Cheikhou Kouyate had come after a bright start by Burnley

• Duff harshly sent off for foul in the box

• Burnley need to win every game to have chance of survival

• West Ham up to ninth in the table

Burnley will be relegated if they fail to beat Hull City next week, after losing at West Ham.

Clarets defender Michael Duff was controversially sent off for tripping Cheikhou Kouyate in the box, allowing Mark Noble to score from the spot.

Burnley's Tom Heaton kept out Enner Valencia with a sharp save, but Sean Dyche's side could only muster half-chances in response.

The visitors are eight points from safety with just three games remaining.

The decision by referee Jon Moss to dismiss Duff in the 23rd minute looked questionable and, with Burnley unable to recover, could have consigned the Clarets to life back in the Championship.

Duff certainly caught Kouyate as the Senegalese cut back on to his right foot in the area, but Burnley had plenty of men covering to deny a goal-scoring opportunity.

Noble placed his penalty to Heaton's right, and from that point on the Hammers, who had won just one of their last 12 league games, were rarely threatened by the division's bottom club.

Valencia forced Heaton into a superb point-blank save and Morgan Amalfitano went close before the break, with Ashley Barnes' header the closest the visitors came to a first-half opening.

Danny Ings, who is expected to leave Burnley in the summer, was full of running and made a chance for himself by forcing his way into the area before shooting wide.

But the Clarets spent most of the second period trying to avoid conceding a second, with Valencia failing to turn in a loose ball and Carlton Cole squandering two chances after coming off the bench.

Burnley have failed to score in eight of their last nine Barclays Premier League matches and netted only one in the other game

And Stewart Downing, who was lively on the right wing for West Ham, was unlucky to be booked for diving when tackled by Ben Mee in the area.

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce may be uncertain about his future at Upton Park, with his contract expiring in the summer, but this result puts his side on 47 points, seven more than they finished with last season.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce: "It should have been a lot easier and it would have been had we converted our chances.

"We had the chances to win two games and couldn't get that comfort zone. One slip can prove costly, but thankfully the lads did the job.

"I think we had a bit of luck on the sending off.

"Mark Noble never practises penalties. He says, "don't worry I'll be fine gaffer". The thing today was about winning and we've done that."

Burnley boss Sean Dyche on Michael Duff's red card: "It's impossible for it to be a red card. Referees have a tough job, but that's not a tough decision.

"Jason Shackell is in position to go and cover. Usually you can tell by a stadium, there was a sharp intake of breath and they were surprised. I was extremely shocked. It ruined the game and has given us an absolute mountain to do what we need to do.

"You can't guarantee you win 11 v 11, but it gives you a better chance.

"The way the team operate they will give everything and we will continue to do that."

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