Sean Dyche saluted the mental toughness of his Burnley side after they struck late to defeat Crystal Palace and climb into the top half of the Premier League standings.

Burnley earned their fourth victory of the season at Turf Moor just when it seemed as though Palace had done enough to earn a point.

Sam Vokes and Johann Berg Gudmundsson had the Clarets two goals up inside a quarter of an hour but Dyche felt his side were guilty of showing some nerves in the second half.

They were punished as Connor Wickham reduced the arrears and Christian Benteke then levelled from the penalty spot nine minutes from the end.

The visitors applied the pressure as they went chasing a winner but it was Burnley who landed the decisive blow in stoppage time.

Ashley Barnes linked up with Berg Gudmundsson before firing home to send the home support into raptures. Dyche felt that the win was merited, despite an edgy second half.

“I think we deserved the points by the final whistle. It was a real ding-dong of a game. Both teams went at it and I’ve been really pleased with the mentality of the group to finish in such a good way,” he said.

“I thought we played with confidence, although at 2-0 we were a little bit nervy, and I was happy with the fantastic finish from Ashley Barnes.”

Climbing into the top half was an outstanding achievement, according to Dyche, and the manager admits it is sweet for Burnley to be defying their pre-season critics with solid performances on the field of play.

“It’s fantastic to be ninth in the table for a club like Burnley. There are questions asked of us in the Premier League but we’re enjoying the ride,” he added.

Burnley are 3.80 to win their next game against West Brom. The Baggies are 2.00 for the Hawthorns clash on November 22 and the draw is priced at 3.20.