Burnley 3-1 Middlesbrough: Manuel Benson scores twice for Championship leaders
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Manuel Benson's brace against Middlesbrough took his tally to six goals in his past eight Championship appearances
Manuel Benson scored twice as Burnley came from behind to beat Middlesbrough and extend their lead at the top of the Championship to six points.
More importantly for Vincent Kompany's Clarets, the win kept them eight points clear of third place in the promotion push, following Lancashire rivals Blackburn's win at Norwich in the late kick-off.
Defeat at Turf Moor brought to an end Michael Carrick's run of four wins and a draw in Boro's past five games, after they had taken a shock lead against the run of play in the 49th minute.
Clarets winger Benson, trying to keep the ball in play on halfway, succeeded only in hooking it back towards his own goal and, with the Burnley defence caught square, Duncan Watmore, a half-time substitute, ran clear to tuck the ball past Aro Muric.
Belgium Under-21 winger Benson made up for his error with two goals in seven minutes to give the Clarets the lead.
He cut inside Boro left back Ryan Giles to fire in a left-footed shot which beat Zack Steffen at his near post.
His second goal - and seventh of the season - was even more embarrassing for the United States international goalkeeper as Benson drifted in a cross from wide on the right.
With two Burnley players attacking the ball, Steffen was distracted and remained rooted to the spot as the ball bounced into his net off the far post.
Burnley made sure their unbeaten home record stayed intact when Josh Brownhill curved a corner to the near post, where it glanced in off the head of Boro midfielder Jonny Howson for an own goal.
Boro seemed to have been given a lifeline in the 90th minute when Connor Roberts was adjudged to have handled on the goal-line as Chuba Akpom's header bounced down off the bar.
That earned the Wales international a red card and gave the visitors a penalty, but Akpom's spot-kick was saved by Muric, diving low to his right.
Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"Our work off the ball was exceptional, and on the ball it was not good enough in the first half and then exceptionally good in the second half, and with the performance being more complete we managed to be more dangerous and managed to score.
"I knew we would play better if we conceded. Don't ask me why, we just had that feeling we were a little too passive in going forward, and as soon as we conceded it was some of the best football we have played.
"We have to protect the momentum we have. We go to Old Trafford now (to play Manchester United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday) to face a different quality of players but with the same goal and ambition.
"It's not a test relevant for tomorrow but a test for where we are trying to get.
On Roberts' red card: "Of course we will appeal next week. We all thought it came off the crossbar but in the greater context there have been some decisions that go for us, and when it goes against us we will move on.
On absent players: "Vitinho got an impact injury and will be out for the best part of this month and Nathan Tella caught a bug and has had a rough couple of days at home."
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick told BBC Radio Tees:
"I'm bitterly disappointed and frustrated, and I feel for the boys because I thought for large parts of the game they stuck to their task and frustrated them for long spells.
"We put ourselves in a great position because of the way we defended for long spells. I say 'defended' but I felt we actually controlled a lot of it without the ball. You don't always have to have the ball to control it.
"We had them in areas we were comfortable with for long spells in the first half, and then went 1-0 up, and then had a moment where it was either a penalty or a free-kick right on the edge of their box when Chuba [Akpom] was brought down was a huge moment for us.
"I was told it was minimal contact but when you're in that position and in control of the ball as Chuba was, to protect the ball as you were taught as a kid, and if a defender brings you down you expect a free-kick or a penalty.
"Their first goal was a good finish but was avoidable in terms of knowing what his (Benson's) strength is, as we want to show him away from that area. Then an inswinging cross - the danger with inswinging crosses even if nobody touches it it can still go in - but again knowing it was on his left foot we had to show him away from that.
"Just a shame at the end we didn't have that chance late on to have a right go for the last five minutes because it would have been really interesting if the penalty had gone in."