Burnley fell to a 3-1 defeat against West Ham United in this afternoon's Premier League clash at Turf Moor.

After a lively first half in which both sides hit the woodwork twice, the Hammers surged into a two-goal lead early in the second period thanks to headed goals from Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia.

Although George Boyd pulled a goal back on the hour, substitute Carlton Cole restored the West Ham's cushion and ensured that Sam Allardyce's side would come away with all three points and climb to fourth in the table. Meanwhile, winless Burnley remain entrenched in the relegation zone.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the teams at Turf Moor.

Match statistics

Burnley
Shots: 17
On target: 3
Possession: 47%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 3

West Ham
Shots: 22
On target: 6
Possession: 53%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 10

Was the result fair?

I would say so. Burnley were dominant in the first half, but just failed to be clinical enough in the Hammers area, while the decision to disallow Lucas Jutkiewicz's goal early on appeared correct. West Ham, meanwhile, took their chances in the second half very well.

Burnley's performance

As previously stated, the Clarets had more than enough chances to establish a healthy lead in the first half, but Jutkiewicz missed an array of chances to finally break his duck in the Premier League. Overall, Burnley's attacking line performed well, but it just wasn't meant to be this afternoon. The defence is subject to mixed reviews, with only Kieran Trippier having had a decent game in the backline, while Tom Heaton had little chance to keep out the Hammers' goals.

West Ham United's performance

Sam Allardyce's side did well to weather the storm in the first half, though luck played a part in their goal remaining unbreached in the first 45 minutes. The second half was when their attacking line really came alive, livewire Sakho scoring and providing an assist, while Valencia and Stewart Downing also proved considerable threats. At the back, only Winston Reid could be deemed to have had a bad game, with the other defenders proving steadfast in repelling Burnley attacks, although goalkeeper Adrian was shaky.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Diafra Sakho: The Senegalese striker became just the second striker in West Ham's history, after Carlton Cole, to score in five consecutive Premier League games with his goal today. The first half saw him guilty of a glaring miss in front of goal, but he came to life in the second period, also providing an assist for the third Hammers goal, scored by the man whose record he equalled.

Biggest gaffe

Sakho, despite his performance, was also guilty of a glaring miss in the 26th minute when he headed wide despite being so close to goal. As a standalone moment, he should have done much better, but luckily for his side, he wasn't made to pay for it as he then improved considerably in the second half.

Referee performance

There can be no complaints about Kevin Friend's performance. His decision to disallow Jutkiewicz's goal early in the first half seemed correct, and he had little more to do as the game remained relatively clean.

What next?

Burnley: Sean Dyche's side, in the relegation zone and four points from safety, host Everton next Sunday.

West Ham: Sam Allardyce's charges, now in the top four of the Premier League, host champions Manchester City in next Saturday's early kickoff.