A late penalty from Danny Ings denied Aston Villa a first win in eight games as Burnley continued their recent improvement with a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor.

Joe Cole marked his first Premier League start for Villa by giving them a deserved lead, but the Clarets snatched a point with Ings's 87th-minute spot kick.

A fifth-minute header from Jores Okore looked destined for the net before a last-ditch intervention from Dean Marney, who was also on hand to block an Ashley Westwood shot from underneath his own bar.

Cole was instrumental in Villa's positive forward play, and chances continued to come their way as Gabriel Agbonlahor squandered a one-on-one and Tom Heaton kept out Tom Cleverley's long-range shot.

The Clarets stopper could do little to prevent Cole from becoming just Villa's third Premier League scorer of the season, as the former England star stayed onside to convert Andreas Weimann's cross on 39 minutes.

Referee Graham Scott was officiating his first top-flight game and lost control of a feisty contest as he booked five players in the latter stages of a half in which Burnley threatened several times through Ings.

Sean Dyche's side started the second half as quickly as Villa had the first, and the visitors had to be alert to maintain their lead as Alan Hutton blocked from George Boyd and Brad Guzan denied Michael Kightly.

Burnley upped the ante further as Ings glanced wide from a Kieran Trippier cross, and a free kick from the same player presented Lukas Jutkiewicz, who is still looking for a first goal of the season, with a golden chance which he passed up 20 seconds after his introduction from the bench.

Villa appeared to have withstood the Burnley barrage as they played out the next 15 minutes with relative comfort, but Okore dragging down Jutkiewicz inside the area four minutes from time gave the hosts a lifeline.

Okore escaped a red card, but Guzan was not so fortunate as Ings powerfully converted from 12 yards, and the home side went all out for a winner in the final stages as they sensed a vulnerability among the Villans.

Looking for a fourth goal in two games, Ings poked against the post before Jutkiewicz headed narrowly wide, but the Clarets will be content with a third top-flight game unbeaten following their winless start.

Villa themselves could have nicked it when Heaton saved well from a 94th-minute Jack Grealish volley, but Lambert's men remain without victory since September and are three places above Burnley in 16th.