Ade Akinbiyi made a goalscoring return and Andy Gray bagged his first goal since November as the Clarets guaranteed their Championship status next season with victory over Norwich.

Akinbiyi, recalled to the starting line up for the ineligible Paul McVeigh, headed home beautifully on the half hour to put the Clarets on the way to a fourth win in five league games.

Gray then brought the house down five minutes from time, scoring for the first time since suffering his broken foot over four months ago after James O'Connor's rocket cannoned back off the post.

And Wade Elliott's party piece moments later ensured the Clarets bounced back from the weekend defeat at Leeds in style.

Akinbiyi was the only change to the line up that faced Leeds. McVeigh's enforced absence against the club he joined Burnley from on loan allowed the big man to partner Andy Gray in attack, with Kyle Lafferty replacing Akinbiyi on the bench.

Norwich, meanwhile, suffered a pre-match blow when Darren Huckerby, named in the starting line-up, failed to appear at kick off.

Teenager Kris Renton, the Canaries' youngest ever player, deputised in attack for the striker, who pulled up in the warm-up.

However, the visitors almost had the perfect start inside five minutes. Elliott was harshly adjudged to have fouled Robert Eagle near the left hand touchline and when the City player dusted himself down to take the resulting free kick, Dion Dublin coolly side-footed against the face of the crossbar from 12 yards.

Burnley hit back with some neat, one-touch football and Elliott was narrowly off target with their first effort of the night 11 minutes in.

O'Connor repeated the trick midway through the half after Akinbiyi's strength and neat lay-off created the opening 25 yards out.

Burnley had another opportunity to hit the target from distance soon after when Andy Hughes was booked for fouling Steve Jones and Jon Harley in the same move.

But after Harley created the diversion from the dead ball, Eric Djemba-Djemba drilled his low shot wide of Tony Warner's right hand post.

It was left for Akinbiyi to get his angles right and put the Clarets ahead on the half hour.

Djemba-Djemba's midfield nous opened up room to slide the ball wide to Michael Duff and his precise cross was headed magnificently into the bottom corner by the big striker.

City had shown little invention since Dublin's early attempt, but they really should have levelled matters within five minutes of falling behind.

Winger Lee Croft left Harley in his wake and pulled the ball back for Chris Martin, whose first time effort was higher than his namesake's voice!

Burnley then cruised to the break with their slender lead intact.

And within three minutes of the restart Akinbiyi could easily have doubled his, and Burnley's tally.

The chance was all of his own making as he beat Dublin to a bouncing ball before skewing his attempted chip when Warner had rushed unnecessarily from his goal.

Gray thought he should have had Burnley's first penalty in 64 league and cup games when he looked to be tripped while trying to create room in the box.

And City almost capitalised on that good fortune when Renton marched upfield and curled a beauty inches wide of Brian Jensen's post.

As the game livened up, Akinbiyi fired straight at Warner from 18 yards before James O'Connor forced a sprawling save from the City stopper with a low curler.

Akinbiyi was replaced by Lafferty with 12 minutes remaining. But it was City whose attack was first off the mark and it needed two excellent saves from Jensen to protect the lead.

First the great Dane spread himself to block Martin's effort from the narrowest of angles after sub Rob Earnshaw jemmied open the door.

From the resulting corner, Jensen then rose to tip Dublin's towering header over the crossbar to safety and guarantee the points.

And Gray duly pounced to secure the victory four minutes from time, reacting first to O'Connor's shot as it beat Warner and cannoned off the inside of his left hand post.

Elliott then provided the icing on the cake within 60 seconds, controlling Harley's cross and rifling the ball into the bottom corner.

And with survival now assured, having amassed the same number of points as last season, the Clarets now go into the final three games of the season looking to leapfrog of their mid-table rivals.

Burnley: Jensen, Harley, Thomas, Caldwell, Duff, Jones (McCann 85), Djemba-Djemba, J O'Connor Elliott, Akinbiyi (Lafferty 78), A Gray
Subs: Coyne, Coughlan, Spicer

Booked: Caldwell 56

Norwich: Warner, Drury, Shackell, Renton, Croft, Dublin, Hughes, Etuhu, Eagle (Earnshaw 72), Spillane, Martin.
Subs: Gallagher, Cave-Brown, Smart, Bexford

Booked: Hughes 25

Ref: M Atkinson