Burnley ended a 19-match winless run with a thumping victory over lacklustre Plymouth at Turf Moor.

Steve Cotterill's side, who moved six points clear of the Coca-Cola Championship drop zone, had managed four goals in their previous 15 league matches but were three up before the interval through Northern Ireland internationals Mike Duff, Paul McVeigh and Steve Jones, before Wade Elliott added a fourth in the second half.

Without a victory since the end of November, the hosts steamed into Plymouth from the kick-off and Duff headed them into the lead with his second goal of the season with 12 minutes gone.

Six minutes later, McVeigh, on loan until the end of the season from Norwich, grabbed his first for Burnley in his second appearance.

And Jones added a third with his first goal since September eight minutes before the interval.

In the 61st minute, Elliott drove in a fourth and there was little fight from Plymouth, who have now won just once in eight matches and saw Sylvain Ebanks-Blake miss a late spot-kick.

The Clarets started in determined mood and their first decent chance saw Elliott's low cross eventually fall for James O'Connor, whose angled half-volley was held by Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick.

The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Elliott's lofted free-kick was glanced home by the unmarked Duff near the penalty spot.

Two minutes later, Andy Gray's quickly-taken free-kick put McVeigh through but his low shot was diverted wide by McCormick.

Just before the 20-minute mark, goalkeeper Brian Jensen's long kick was flicked on by Gray and after holding off a defender, McVeigh guided the ball home.

Having established a two-goal cushion, there was an inevitable lull and the visitors, with Rory Fallon a powerful aerial threat, started to make a contest of it.

But eight minutes before half-time, Jones added a third, reacting first to smash his blocked shot past McCormick from just outside the area.

Scott Sinclair drove straight at Jensen to register Plymouth's first effort on target in added time.

Plymouth came out much stronger after the interval although Tony Capaldi's shot, easily held by Jensen from 15 yards, was all they had to show for their early efforts.

Akos Buzsaky also fired a free-kick well wide from distance for the visitors, while neat work from the Clarets saw McVeigh thwarted at the near post by McCormick from O'Connor's cross.

Buzsaky had another free-kick deflected wide just before the hour but Burnley went straight down the other end and notched a fourth through Elliott.

The winger seized on Marcel Seip's loose pass, cut in from the right and fired low inside the far post.

Lilian Nalis failed to trouble Jensen from 35 yards, before McCormick kept out further efforts from Gray and Jones.

With eight minutes left, Eric Djemba-Djemba pulled down Bojan Djordic near the byline and fellow substitute Ebanks-Blake smashed the resulting penalty low past Jensen's right post.

The Clarets coasted through the remaining minutes, allowing skipper Steven Caldwell, McVeigh and Djemba-Djemba to taste victory in Burnley colours for the first time.

Teams:

Burnley Jensen, Thomas, Duff, Caldwell, Harley,Elliott (Garreth O'Connor 76), James O'Connor (McCann 70),Djemba-Djemba, Jones, Gray (Akinbiyi 85), McVeigh.

Subs Not Used: Coyne, Coughlan.

Goals: Duff 13, McVeigh 20, Jones 38, Elliott 61.

Plymouth McCormick, Connolly, Seip, Timar, Capaldi,Gosling (Djordjic 72), Hodges (Buzsaky 35), Nalis, Sinclair,Hayles, Fallon (Ebanks-Blake 60).

Subs Not Used: Halmosi, Sawyer.

Booked: Fallon, Connolly, Seip, Ebanks-Blake.

Att: 9,793

Ref: A Hall (W Midlands).