Bottom club Norwich City kept alive their slim hopes of avoiding a quick-fire return to the Championship and dealt a blow to fellow strugglers Burnley with a crucial win at Carrow Road.

Pierre Lees-Melou's first goal since signing from Nice for £3.5m last July and Teemu Pukki's 86th minute finish settled a tense relegation scrap - and earned the Canaries only their fifth Premier League victory since winning promotion last season.

French midfielder Lees-Melou's ninth minute deflected shot, which went in off the post, put the hosts on their way before Pukki drilled home the second to give Norwich a glimmer of hope of staying up, with Dean Smith's side now seven points from safety with seven matches left.

Burnley had their moments, with Maxwel Cornet, the match-winning hero against Everton in midweek, missing a glorious chance from three yards out.

In what was a must-win game, Norwich's defence came under relentless pressure at times but withstood everything that was thrown at it to record back-to-back clean sheets in the league for the first time since October.

The result leaves the Clarets 18th in the table, four points from safety with eight matches remaining.

Norwich boss Dean Smith said: "Really pleased. I thought we defended our box really well and we showed some real quality in the first half in transition. The work ethic was really good.

"The first goal was always going to be important and it was good it fell to us. We showed some quality in the second half that has probably been missing due to a lack of confidence. I still think we can look after the ball a bit better but you have to defend well against Burnley. I'm pleased we've had two clean sheets on the spin now.

"There was a break in play so I said to [Teemu Pukki] you'll get another chance. What a great touch from him. When he's in that situation he's so calm and I'm glad the supply was there.

"It shows we're still fighting and I think that was important for our supporters. It gives our dressing room an awful lot of belief. We had hoped results would have gone a little better for us yesterday but we can only concentrate on ourselves. Who knows if you win two or three games on the spin, the world looks different."