Sheffield United climbed into the play-off zone with a victory against Coca-Cola Championship rivals Burnley at Bramall Lane.

Goals from Alan Quinn and Andy Gray breathed new life into the Blades' promotion bid and elevated them up to sixth in the Championship table.

Burnley's lack of cutting edge again proved their undoing, and although Ade Akinbiyi marked his full debut with a late strike, United held on to record a precious victory.

The Blades named the same starting XI who drew 1-1 with Preston during midweek, while Burnley made three changes to the side which slumped to a 2-0 reverse at Wolves.

Akinbiyi returned from a three-match suspension to lead the Clarets' attack and make his first start since completing a recent £600,000 switch from Stoke.

The former Leicester striker made a disastrous start to his Burnley career by being sent off for violent conduct within three minutes of coming off the bench during the Clarets' 2-0 home reverse against Sunderland.

He was given the task of spearheading the visitors' attack at Bramall Lane alongside on-loan Ipswich youngster Dean Bowditch, while Lee Roache and Michael Duff also returned to the side.

The trio replaced a suspended John McGreal, injured Tony Grant and dropped Jean-Louis Valois.

The midweek defeat at Molineux all but ended Burnley's hopes of securing an improbable play-off spot this season, but they began brightly against the Blades and should have opened the scoring after nine minutes.

Delightful approach play on the edge of the hosts' box saw the visitors work the ball out to winger John Oster.

He delivered a superb cross from the right flank to the far post where the unmarked Graham Branch arrived to plant a header wide from just six yards out.

The Clarets' veteran should have done better and it was Branch again who had the game's next attempt at goal five minutes later when he blazed wildly over from 20 yards.

United were struggling to gain a foothold on the game and it was 17 minutes before they registered their first meaningful attempt on goal - Jon Harley volleying into the Kop from the edge of the box after Burnley had failed to clear a dangerous cross.

However, it was Steve Cotterill's side who remained the more purposeful, but they again lacked a cutting edge.

Profligacy was punished shortly before the half hour when Blades defender Rob Kozluk whipped in a vicious outswinging cross from the right flank which Burnley 'keeper Brian Jensen made a serious hash of dealing with.

He could only palm the ball as far out as Quinn, who volleyed the ball into an empty net from eight yards out to hand United the all important breakthrough goal.

Suitably inspired, United began to up the tempo and the pendulum of attacking momentum swung firmly towards the hosts and Steve Kabba came close to extending his side's lead on two occasions.

If Burnley went in at the break rueing their inability to find the net, Gray gave them a devastating master class four minutes after the restart to double United's advantage.

Quinn was the architect and played a clever pass behind the Burnley defence and into the path of Gray, to beat the offside trap perfectly.

He displayed outstanding poise to stroke the ball home from 12 yards past Jensen for his 14th goal of the season to effectively secure the points.

United dominated possession and enjoyed a significant territorial advantage, but they failed to make their dominance pay despite peppering the visitors' box with a steady wave of dangerous crosses from both flanks.

Burnley weathered the storm and gave themselves late hope when Akinbiyi fired home a cut-back from substitute Ian Moore with six minutes remaining, but the Blades held on for a precious three points.

Teams

Sheff Utd Kenny, Kozluk, Bromby, Harley, Jagielka, Montgomery, Liddell (Francis 90), Quinn (Thirlwell 82), Tonge, Gray, Kabba (David Johnson 85).

Subs Not Used: Forte, Shaw.

Booked: Kabba.

Goals: Quinn 29, Gray 49.

Burnley Jensen, Roche, Cahill, Camara, Sinclair, Duff, Oster (Moore 75), Hyde, Branch (Valois 51), Akinbiyi, Bowditch.

Subs Not Used: Coyne, Pilkington, Scott.

Booked: Cahill.

Goals: Akinbiyi 84.

Att: 19,374

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).