Dwight Gayle was the hero for Crystal Palace as the visitors were forced to come from two goals behind in a 3-2 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Burnley looked in complete control when Ben Mee and Danny Ings both scored inside 16 minutes, but Gayle reduced the deficit with an easy finish from close range before the break.

Jason Puncheon levelled the scores with a low strike just after the interval, before Gayle stole the show in the 88th minute to fire Palace to all three points.

Below, Sports Mole looks at the key talking points on a dramatic afternoon.

Match statistics

BURNLEY
Shots: 7
On target: 4
Possession: 51%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 10

Crystal Palace
Shots: 11
On target: 4
Possession: 49%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 20

Was the result fair?

In truth, a defeat is harsh on Burnley, who started strongly and enjoyed spells on top even after Palace had pulled it back to 2-2. However, the inability to defend a lead is unlikely to bring out the sympathetic side in Sean Dyche and Palace took full advantage of some sloppy marking from the hosts. After soaking up some pressure in the latter stages of the game, Palace showed the desire to push the hosts back, and they were rewarded when Gayle decided the match in dramatic fashion.

Burnley's performance

It was a great start as Burnley scored with each of their first two chances, but the hosts never managed to hit the same heights. The concern for Dyche will be that even when the Clarets have won matches, they've conceded goals. Their struggles at the back were exposed today as Gayle scored the winner after finding a yard of space in the box. Puncheon also managed to punish the hosts with a fine finish when he was gifted room on the edge of the box, too.

Perhaps the biggest frustration for home supporters will be that Burnley sat back after taking a commanding lead. Ings was starved of service for long spells of the game, and a lack of quality in the final third delayed their progress in the second half. A 4-2 FA Cup loss to Tottenham Hotspur has been followed by another game when Burnley have thrown away a two-goal advantage. Dyche must now find a way to produce a response.

Crystal Palace's performance

Once again, Alan Pardew will be absolutely delighted with his players. A week after coming from behind to beat Spurs, the Eagles showed their resolve again by staying in the game following a difficult start to the match. Palace didn't do too much wrong early on, with only a Julian Speroni mistake for the opener and a fine finish from Ings making the difference.

It was what happened after those goals which Pardew will want to concentrate on. Wilfried Zaha may have faded after the break, but he was a constant threat to the Burnley defence and he played a key role in getting Palace back in the game. Gayle regularly switched from the wing to centre-forward to give the Clarets more headaches, and the influential Puncheon improved as the game progressed. The defence needs work, that much is clear, but Pardew's side will continue to grow in confidence with this win.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Dwight Gayle: Goals win matches, and Gayle scored two big ones to secure the points. Had Burnley held on to a 2-0 lead heading into the break, it would have been difficult to see the visitors getting back in the game, but Gayle showed a striker's instinct to reduce the deficit. The forward was willing to drift out wide when his manager asked, and his determination to find space was crucial for the winner. It's now 10 goals in all competitions for Gayle this season.

Biggest gaffe

Speroni has been a consistent performer for Palace this season, but he was left embarrassed when he came out to gather a corner in the 12th minute. His positioning was poor, and Mee cashed in to head Burnley in front. Luckily for Speroni, his teammates saved the day.

Referee performance

It was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Phil Dowd as the match passed by without any controversial moment.

What next?

Burnley: Dyche will look to take advantage of rare break ahead of Burnley's meeting with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on January 31.

Crystal Palace: The Eagles return to FA Cup action next weekend as they travel to Southampton in the fourth round.