It was a Burnley side that included two U16 players, England international Nick Pope - who kept a clean sheet to top up his match practice - and a crop of teenagers.

A goal in each half from Rob Harker and a third from 16-year-old Ben Woods in the 88^th minute ensured that the Clarets kept the pressure on Birmingham City, moving level on points with the second-placed Blues who have two games in hand over Stone’s side.

Burnley started bright and came close early on, as Woods fired an effort just over the bar from 25 yards out.

Harker than had his first chance of the afternoon, after breaking through on goal, before rifling the ball just wide of the post.

The Clarets were dominating the early stages of the game and had a third chance with 20 minutes gone, as U16 striker Lewis Richardson teed up Harker, whose acrobatic effort fizzed inches wide of the goal.

United then had their first chance of the game, as Kwame Poku forced Pope into action with a smart save to keep the scores level.

However, moments later the home side took the deserved lead as Harker poked home the ball from close range, after latching onto Bobby Thomas’ cushioned header.

After a dominant first-half display from the hosts, the visitors came out raring to go and came close when Todd Miller’s cross sailed just past the post, with Jake Hutchinson lurking yards out.

However, it was Stone’s men that struck again with 20 minutes to go, as Dan Agyei fed the ball into the path of Harker, who slotted home past goalkeeper Callum Coulter.

And despite the U’s best efforts at pulling a goal back, it was the hosts who had a third with just a couple of minutes to go.

Youngster Woods fired home past Coulter from just inside the area, to secure all three points with one game to go in the Clarets' league campaign.

BURNLEY: Pope, Cropper (Clarke 58), Thomas, Wilson, Glennon, Howarth (Conn-Clarke 49), N’Guessan, Woods, Agyei, Harker, Richardson (Bayode 74). Subs: Stone, Perkins.

Colchester United: Coulter, Ige, Armsworth, Hyde, Barnes, Sayer, Anderson (Ager 56), Poku, Miller, Charles (Hutchinson HT), Hilton. Substitutes: Hallett, Agboola.

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

POS	Team	PL	PTS
15	FOR	5	5
16	BUR	5	4
17	BRE	5	4

Burnley U23s 3 Colchester United U23s 0

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