Leeds endured another nerve-jangling finish but clung on to Matt Heath's first-half goal to boost their hopes of Coca-Cola Championship survival.

Heath outjumped the visitors' defence to power home a 21st-minute header from Alan Thompson's corner, while Frazer Richardson saw his 35-yard first-half volley clatter the crossbar.

The home side were unable to find a second goal and anxiously defended their narrow

advantage against a disappointing Burnley outfit.

Dennis Wise's relegation-threatened side stormed out of the blocks in a game they dared not lose with Heath giving them a deserved lead.

But in the closing seconds of the first half Leeds goalkeeper Casper Ankergren pulled off a fine save to block Wayne Thomas' goalbound shot.

Leeds were without suspended skipper Jonathan Douglas, so Robbie Blake returned to the starting line-up, with David Healy handed the captain's armband for the remainder of the season.

Richardson returned to the back four in place of Rui Marques, while Tresor Kandol made way for Richard Cresswell, who shook off a knee injury.

Burnley manager Steve Cotterill named an unchanged starting line-up for the fourth match running.

Healy went close to giving Leeds a flying start but his low shot on the turn in the penalty area was collected by Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

Slick passing down the right then set Cresswell free and his low cross was hacked clear by Thomas, while Radostin Kishishev was off target with a raking shot from 30 yards.

Leeds were not to be denied the opener, Heath easing early tension on the terraces when he outjumped Burnley's defence to power home a header from Thompson's corner.

Leeds promptly defended two quick corners before Richardson thundered a 30-yard volley onto the crossbar with Jensen well beaten.

The home side's tails were up and they stormed forward again with Jensen this time tipping Cresswell's header from Heath's flick-on over the crossbar.

Paul McVeigh rifled a shot over the bar in a rare foray forward for the visitors before Heath went close to adding a second from another Thompson corner.

Neither side created a goalscoring chance in the second period until Lewis just failed to latch on to Richardson's cross at the far post.

Healy then swivelled onto a loose ball in the area but failed to keep it down, while at the other end McVeigh and then James O'Connor blazed high and wide from outside the area.

Thompson stroked a trademark free-kick straight at Jensen but with 15 minutes of the game remaining the second half had barely flickered into life.

Wise made his intentions clear when he replaced Blake with defender Rui Marques in the final quarter, while not even the introduction of substitutes Ade Akinbiyi and John Spicer could inspire Burnley out of their end-of-season torpor.

Teams

Leeds Ankergren, Richardson, Michalik, Heath, Gray,Blake (Rui Marques 76), Kishishev, Thompson, Lewis,Healy (Armando Sa 90), Cresswell.

Subs Not Used: Stack, Johnson, Moore.

Goals: Heath 21.

Burnley Jensen, Duff, Thomas, Caldwell, Harley,Elliott (Akinbiyi 69), James O'Connor (Spicer 74),Djemba-Djemba, Jones, McVeigh, Gray.

Subs Not Used: Coyne, Coughlan, McCann.

Booked: James O'Connor, Duff, Thomas.

Att: 23,528

Ref: S Tanner (Somerset).