Having just received his first England call-up as part of the Under-20 squad, McNeil claimed Burnley’s 100^th Premier League goal at Turf Moor.

His superbly executed equaliser just before half time looked as though it would stop the rot after three successive defeats and earn what could yet be a valuable point in the final reckoning at the bottom end of the table.

But in the last minute Wes Morgan headed a Leicester winner as the Foxes – who had played almost the entire game a man short after Harry Maguire was sent off – nicked all three to send Sean Dyche’s men into the international break with plenty of work still to do to secure their top-flight status.

Leicester were down to 10 men after just four minutes as the Clarets were handed an immediate advantage.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson, making just his third league start of the year after replacing Jeff Hendrick as the sole change to the Clarets’ side, got in behind the Foxes’ defence from Jack Cork’s pass.

And when Maguire clipped the winger’s heels as he raced towards goal, referee Michael Oliver was seemingly left with no alternative but to show the England man a red card.

Leicester sent on title-winning captain Morgan to fill the gap and the Clarets initially struggled to make the numbers’ game count in their favour as the wind and rain lashed Turf Moor.

Gudmundsson, invariably the Clarets’ attacking catalyst, delivered a cross for former Fox Chris Wood which the striker nodded wide.

But City keeper Kasper Schmeichel wasn’t tested and Leicester, who carried a threat on the break, went ahead with just over half an hour gone.

Maddison coaxed a foul out of James Tarkowski after the Clarets’ defender chased the midfielder towards the penalty area.

And Madison then meted out the punishment by curling a free-kick beyond Tom Heaton – like Tarkowski back in the England squad for their opening Euro 2020 qualifiers – into the top corner.

Heaton then parried a shot on the turn from Jamie Vardy but, crucially, the Clarets were level within five minutes to go into the break back on terms.

And McNeil was the man to step up and deliver it with a brilliant finish.

The Clarets worked the ball across the pitch and when Taylor played a return pass to McNeil, the teenager whipped a first-time shot across Schmeichel from just inside the penalty area to claim his second senior goal.

It was a timely strike which gave Burnley the platform to try and force the issue at the start of the second half.

And twice in the opening 10 minutes after the re-start they had sights of goal, Cork side-footing over the top from Ashley Barnes’ lay-off, and midfield partner Ashley Westwood dragging a shot just wide as he looked to back up his first Burnley goal at Liverpool a week ago.

That set the tone as the Clarets dominated possession as they tried to work out a way to pierce the visitors’ defence and get their noses in front.

And with 20 minutes to go, Dyche sent for Peter Crouch to try and make the difference from the substitutes’ bench.

It was all Burnley as they banged at the door in their bid to add two more vital points and Taylor, who again kept driving forward impressively from left-back, thought he should have had a penalty when he burst into the box and was clipped by Wilfred Ndidi.

McNeil then flicked a Cork cross over the top as time began to run out and the teenager curled another effort off the top of the bar as Burnley pressed for a winner.

But rather than Burnley take all three points, it was Leicester who struck at the death to earn a first away victory under new boss Brendan Rodgers as Morgan stayed up following a corner to head in a deflected cross from Youri Tielemans.

It was a hammer blow for the Clarets who almost pulled it out of the fire in stoppage time.

But with substitute Matej Vydra being denied by Schmeichel and Leicester holding on from a corner which had brought Heaton up to add to the attacking numbers, there was to be no further drama as the Clarets were left too close for comfort to the bottom three.

Burnley: Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkowski, Mee, Taylor, Gudmundsson (Brady 80), Westwood, Cork, McNeil (Vydra 90), Wood (Crouch 70), Barnes. Substitutes: Hart, Lowton, Hendrick, Gibson.

Booked: Bardsley

Leicester City: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell; Ndidi; Tielemans, Maddison (Fuchs 65); Gray (Morgan 6), Vardy, Barnes (Mendy 77). Substitutes: Ward, Iheanacho, Okazaki, Ghezzal.

Booked: Maddison

Referee: Michael Oliver

Attendance: 20,719

POS	Team	PL	PTS
10	MC	2	3
11	BUR	3	3
12	BRE	3	3

POS	Team	PL	PTS
10	MC	2	3
11	BUR	3	3
12	BRE	3	3

Bardsley Seeks Turf Tonic

Premier League table

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