Burnley 4-0 Bristol City: Andre Gray hat-trick sinks Robins

Andre Gray hit his first hat-trick in Burnley colours as the Clarets got back to winning ways in the Sky Bet Championship with a crushing 4-0 defeat of Bristol City at Turf Moor on Monday afternoon.

The Clarets' top scorer, who turned City down before joining Burnley for a record fee in August, took his season's tally to 13 for his new club, with Scott Arfield also netting as the hosts recorded just their second win in nine games.

Sean Dyche made three changes from Boxing Day's 3-0 defeat at Hull, with David Jones, Michael Kightly and Stephen Ward coming in, and the Clarets took the game to their visitors from the off.

Luke Ayling got a vital touch with Joey Barton primed to shoot at the back-post on five minutes before Elliott Bennett cleared Gray's low shot off the line four minutes later.

Arfield then shot into the ground and wide from Gray's lay-off on 10 minutes as the Clarets piled on some early pressure.

Steve Cotterill made just one change by contrast, after drawing on Boxing Day, with Derrick Williams in for Joe Bryan, but Bristol City struggled to create chances.

Gray was next to try his luck, racing onto Sam Vokes' through ball on 17 minutes, but his left-footed shot deflected onto the post and away as Nathan Baker slid in to block.

Barton was also denied by the frame of the goal on the half-hour mark, when he found space 30 yards out and beat Frank Fielding with a dipping shot which clipped the bar and went over.

Gray finally broke the deadlock on 37 minutes, though, spinning away from Aden Flint with a clever turn and keeping his composure to finish low across Fielding and into the bottom corner.

The Clarets striker then scored another on the stroke of half-time, turning in the area after David Jones' clever knock-down to slot in from close range and double the lead.

City enjoyed more attacking possession after the break than they had in the first-half, and Korey Smith's fierce strike was blocked well by Ward on 50 minutes.

Flint then shot well over on 55 minutes, having stayed up after an attacking free-kick, and Williams headed well wide midway through the second half.

Jonathan Kodija then caught Barton in possession on 70 minutes, but shot straight at Tom Heaton - the keeper gathering at the second attempt.

Bristol City were to rue not taking their chances too, when Arfield raced onto Vokes' prodded through ball and finished left-footed across Fielding on 71 minutes.

Gray then sealed his hat-trick on 78 minutes, gleefully tapping in from close range when Matthew Lowton picked him out with a low cross.

The result leaves Bristol City - with just two wins from their last 13 games - stuck in the bottom three on goal difference.