THE ability to win when not playing well has served many a promotion-chasing team before, and Blues boss Joe Royle admitted it was not one of their better days at Burnley.

THE ability to win when not playing well has served many a promotion-chasing team before, and Blues boss Joe Royle admitted it was not one of their better days at Burnley.

Royle said: "We were far from our best, but I don't think we were ever in too much trouble and the goalkeeper hasn't had much to do, other than two long-distance saves in the first half."

Darren Bent's two great strikes proved the difference as the Blues kept their second clean sheet in three games.

Royle said: "We know we can play better, but they were two great goals that deserve to win any game.

"We defended properly and had other chances to score, without ever playing at our best. That's a great plus because when we are at our best, we are as good as anything."

Bent's 65th minute goal secured the win and got the Royle seal of approval.

He said: "The second was a great, great strike. I was thinking Darren was going to bend it into the near post for a team-mate running in, but he smacked a ferocious shot and it would probably still be going if the net hadn't stopped it."

While not everyone was firing on all cylinders, Bent was in red-hot form.

Royle said: "We are lucky to have an all-round goal power and, when our midfield didn't threaten and Shefki Kuqi had an off day, we are fortunate that Darren can step up and score.

"We haven't got a leading goalscorer in the charts, but we have goal power all round."

The win pushes second-placed Town closer to Wigan, who lost at home to Plymouth.

Royle said: "I must say there was a smile and a cheer in the dressing room when we heard that Wigan had lost.

"But we can only concentrate on ourselves and I don't see any great deal of panic that Wigan have lost one game. They have had a terrific start to the season and, because of the size of their squad and their spending power, I would still make them favourites."

The Blues welcome back another former Town player next week when Jermaine Wright returns with Leeds United, who enjoyed a 4-2 win at Preston with David Healy scoring twice against his old club.