Blackburn Rovers secured the local bragging rights in the East Lancashire derby with a 1-0 victory over their bitter local rivals at Turf Moor. However Clarets boss Brian Laws claimed Martin Olsson dived and "conned the referee" to win the penalty that David Dunn then converted to push Burnley closer to an immediate return to the Championship.
Olsson went down under a challenge by keeper Brian Jensen and referee Mike Dean awarded a penalty with TV replays showing minimal if any contact.
Laws said: "When you look at it in the cool light of day it's clear it's not even a penalty.
"Olsson's took a dive, he's conned the referee, the referee's not in a great position and he's given the penalty which was very harsh and left us with a mountain to climb.
"But we didn't get a lot of joy from any of the decisions today and I was disappointed with that. I thought it might even itself out.
"If the referee thought it was a penalty by the goalkeeper then you either send him off or book him.
"I'm not blaming the player, he's done everything possible to try and get a goal against us through a penalty or his own work but I'm disappointed because we want to see honesty and we want to see the referee get the correct decisions."
Laws' team are now in serious relegation trouble but he is refusing to contemplate the drop.
"Is it over? No it's not over - the maths tell you it's not over, though we are certainly going to have to win three or possibly four games to get out of it.
"We have to make sure this does not deflate us too much before our next game."
Rovers chief Sam Allardyce said: "From where I was sitting in the stand it looked as though he had brought him down.
"We are all wondering why he didn't get booked or sent off but I think he (the referee) was unclear whether it was the defender or the goalkeeper who had brought him down.
"In the end we have won on a penalty and deservedly so, as apart from a couple of incidents they didn't create a chance. As for me, my man of the match Martin Olsson created havoc in the Burnley defence time and time again.
"We are very pleased, the dressing room is very happy and the players are very happy."
