McCormack's four Easter weekend goals took his season's tally to 23

Ross McCormack and Jay Bothroyd kept Cardiff's automatic promotion hopes alive against play-off rivals Burnley in a dramatic last 15 minutes.

Bothroyd got onto McCormack's flick-on to blast the first from a narrow angle.

A terrible Darren Purse back pass let Robbie Blake sneak in for an equaliser, but McCormack immediately replied after latching onto Bothroyd's head-down.

McCormack chose to attack in injury time, slipping the defence and beating the on-rushing goalkeeper Brian Jensen.

The Scotland striker's superb individual strike followed his two goals in Saturday's win at Crystal Palace to take his tally to 23 for the season.

The win virtually guarantees the Bluebirds a play-off spot and does their local rivals Swansea a big favour.

The Swans defeated Barnsley 3-1, leaving them just four points behind sixth-placed Burnley in the battle for the final play-off spot.

Cardiff manager Dave Jones:
"Ross was top drawer. But I thought long and hard about bringing him or Michael Chopra off.

"In the end I went for Chops as he's been struggling with a heel injury.

"He [McCormack] didn't get a kick for 60 minutes but when it opened up he came into his own.

"We will keep chasing down and see where it takes us. We have played four games in eight days, and that includes a derby match.

"Nobody is looking too far ahead. You can't do that. All we can do is push the teams above us. It may be a cliche but we are taking it a game at a time.

"I know to win against a very good side here won't do my players any harm. It was a tight affair and it opened up towards the end which we capitalised on."

Burnley manager Owen Coyle:
"We are disappointed with the manner of the goals conceded. We switched off from the kick-off after we scored and were punished by McCormack.

"I'm disappointed with the goals we lost rather than the performance. It's naive at best and I let the players know that. Concentrations levels have to be maximum.

"We more than matched them but we shot ourselves in the foot.

"If somebody said we would be in this position at the start of the season we would have taken that. We have to dust ourselves down and look to bounce back."

Cardiff: Taylor, McNaughton, Purse, Gyepes, Kennedy, Ledley, McPhail, Rae, McCormack, Bothroyd (Eddie Johnson 86), Chopra (Whittingham 64).
Subs Not Used: Heaton, Comminges, Burke.

Booked: Kennedy.

Goals: Bothroyd 74, McCormack 85, 90.

Burnley: Jensen, Alexander (Gudjonsson 73), Carlisle, Caldwell, Williams, Kalvenes, Elliott, McCann, Eagles, Rodriguez (Duff 87), Blake.
Subs Not Used: Penny, McDonald, MacDonald.

Booked: Kalvenes, Carlisle, Elliott, Williams.

Goals: Blake 84.

Att: 19,379

Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire).

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