Burnley 1-2 Wolves: The Sunday Mirror match report

Brian Jensen is built like one of the huge mills that surround Turf Moor.

But unfortunately, this was one of those days when the Burnley goalkeeper simply seemed just as mobile.

From the moment that the Dane raced from his goalmouth early on, to flatten busy striker Kevin Doyle with a flying headbutt to the midriff that earned him a yellow card, the signs seemed ominous.

When Jensen failed to react quickly enough to a header from full-back Tyrone Mears, which was as ill-advised as it was weak, he allowed Wolves winger Matt Jarvis to skip around him and walk in the opening goal on 26 minutes.

And within the opening 60 seconds of the second half, Jensen again went down like a lumbering oak after Clarke Carlisle stuck out a foot to redirect a low drive from Adlene Guedioura that was going wide in to the bottom corner.

That meant it was game over, despite substitute Steven Thompson making the final 18 minutes compelling viewing by scoring with a header.

But Jensen will always be remembered as the keeper who did more than most to take battling Burnley back to the top flight for the first time in 33 years. Although he’s finding out the hard way that the Premier League is an unforgiving place.

And the same can be said for manager Brian Laws and the rest of his Clarets.

Laws was mercilessly jeered by home fans for swapping Chris Eagles and Andre Bikey for Robbie Blake and Thompson on the hour-mark.

But his changes almost worked, as Graham Alexander and Blake both went close in the closing stages to show that Burnley won’t be going down without a real fight.

The Clarets have only taken four points from eight matches since Laws replaced Owen Coyle, so they are truly ensconced in the bottom three.

“We still have eight games left, and it only takes one win to get ourselves back in with a chance,” said Laws.

“This was a body blow, but we can’t let the disappointment destroy the rest of the season. I’ve heard Mick McCarthy moan about his luck, but he can’t have that complaint tonight because I didn’t think we deserved to lose.”

Yet McCarthy travelled back down the M6 insisting it was time that fortune finally favoured his braves.

“I kept telling the players that our luck would turn,” claimed McCarthy. “If we kept playing that well, we would get what we deserved.”

After getting lucky with Jarvis’ opener, they were relieved to see David Nugent’s volley hit the crossbar.

And when Carlisle inadvertently directed Guedioura in to his own net, once again it was Laws cursing the footballing heavens.

But Burnley found a spark when Blake was introduced, and the striker hit the post.

Then Thompson was in the right place to divert Alexander’s mishit volley home.