Burnley manager Owen Coyle hailed his match-winner David Nugent after the on-loan striker came off the bench to sink Sunderland with a late double. Despite Nugent's topsy-turvy club career, Coyle revealed he jumped at the chance to sign him on a six-month deal on transfer deadline day, and wants him at the club for keeps.

Coyle said: "I've always had the greatest belief in David as a top-class player and that's why we've brought him in.

"His two finishes were top class and he has got to use them as a stepping stone. I would love to have him permanently and, as long as he's happy, I'm sure he can keep producing on the pitch.

"I speak to David on a daily basis, but although he's getting stronger, I didn't think he was quite ready for 90 minutes," he said. "Having said that, I told him he still had a big role to play."

Coyle was particularly delighted with the way his side hit back from last week's Anfield defeat by Liverpool and said it once again vindicated the Clarets' style of play. Coyle said: "The best thing for me is that we've really answered a lot of critics who, after losing at Chelsea and Liverpool, questioned the way we play.

"They want to know if we're going to change our style, but I tell them no, we're going to persist in trying to pass the ball because banging it around is not what we're about.

The best thing for me is that we've really answered a lot of critics who, after losing at Chelsea and Liverpool, questioned the way we play.

Burnley manager Owen Coyle

"We're under no illusions about what this season is going to be, but it's a challenge," he said. "There's an energy, a hunger and a desire to win games and long may that continue."

Disappointed Bruce
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce bemoaned the way his side fell away after a bright start and acknowledged that his side deserved nothing from their dismal second-half display. Bruce said: "The game was there for us to be won and I was delighted at half-time, but it was disappointing that we petered away to nothing in the second half.

"We were the best team by a distance. We let in a poor goal and bounced back from it. The second-half performance is something we have got to put right.

"We knew Burnley would get better in the second half. To be honest, we hardly gave them a kick in the first," he said. "For the second half, especially the last half-hour, we weren't there."

Bruce went on to pay tribute to the Clarets and in particular the performance of Nugent, adding: "You have to hold your hands up and say they scored two great goals.

"They get it down and they've got some good players and they scored wonderful goals. Sometimes you have to pat them on the back, but the disappointing thing is we let them off the hook."