Kevin Kyle struck a second-half winner for Sunderland to seal third spot and a play-off semi-final double-header against Crystal Palace as Burnley failed to give outgoing manager Stan Ternent a farewell victory.
In a move which shocked many within the game, including Sir Alex Ferguson, chairman Barry Kilby recently informed Ternent that his contract would not be renewed.
Therefore, prior to kick-off, a huge tidal wave of emotion engulfed Turf Moor and Ternent in particular.
If the magnitude of the occasion was not great enough, Burnley's opponents, Sunderland, are Ternent's hometown club - he supported them as a boy and also worked there as assistant manager.
However, in a mark of Ternent's affection for the Clarets, he had stated beforehand that while he holds Sunderland close to his heart, Burnley were his true love.
And despite his dented pride going into the match, Ternent had stated his wish to give the Turf Moor faithful a farewell victory against Mick McCarthy's promotion hopefuls.
But the Black Cats signalled their early attacking intent with a fine counter-attacking move, which resulted in Tommy Smith's header flashing wide after John Oster's fine left-wing cross.
Burnley then punished the visitors' profligacy by taking the lead after 11 minutes, when Paul Weller found England Under-21 star Richard Chaplow inside the Black Cats' box.
He turned neatly and played a delightful low ball across the face of goal, where Glen Little, playing his last game for Burnley before a move to Reading, tapped home from six yards out.
Suitably inspired, the home side continued to press and 22-goal striker Robbie Blake fired in a fine 20-yard effort which Thomas Myhre comfortably saved.
However, the visitors began to gain a foothold on the game and when Sean Thornton fired over a corner eight minutes before the break, the towering Breen, completely unmarked, thundered the ball home to send the Black Cats in level at the break.
McCarthy, understandably disappointed at the paucity of the performances of stand-in strike duo Darren Byfield and Tommy Smith, had seen enough after 45 minutes.
He hauled the pair off at half-time and replaced them with the regular strike partnership of Kyle and Marcus Stewart.
But it was Burnley's Blake who continued to drop deep and his intricate probings proved a constant source of unease for Sunderland's backline.
Indeed, shortly before the hour mark, the former Bradford man played a fine ball into the path of Chaplow, whose effort ricocheted back into Blake's path.
His delightful sidefooted effort drew a tremendous save from stand-in Black Cats goalkeeper Myhre, deputising for the suspended Mart Poom.
And after 66 minutes, Sunderland sealed the points.
Oster's cross was headed against the bar by Stewart, only for Kyle to power home the rebound with a fine header.
Despite the victory, the visitors showed little semblance of the qualities required to compete, or indeed survive, in the Premiership next season - if they get there
However, what they lack in artistry and craft, they compensate for in hard graft, grit and determination - which may just be enough for a return to the promised land, while Ian Moore's late miss after more Blake trickery ended the Clarets' hopes of a point.
Teams
Burnley Jensen, McGregor, May, Branch, Camara (Scott 79),
Weller (Chadwick 69), Johnrose, Chaplow (O'Neill 73), Little,
Blake, Ian Moore.
Subs Not Used: West, Abbey.
Booked: Branch, May, Camara.
Goals: Little 11.
Sunderland Myhre, Williams, Breen, Babb, Bjorklund, Oster,
Robinson, Whitley, Thornton (Clark 72), Byfield (Stewart 45),
Tommy Smith (Kyle 45).
Subs Not Used: Ramsden, McLean.
Booked: Oster.
Goals: Breen 37, Kyle 66.
Att: 18,852
Ref: K Hill (Hertfordshire).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook