Source: Team_Talk
Clarets chief gives up on top two
Paul Connolly's diving header in unjury time shattered the visitors, who had led through a 58th-minute goal from Chris McCann after a collision between goalkeeper, Stephen Bywater, and Martin Albrechtsen.
Coyle acknowledged the significance of the late goal and accepts his team have to face the play-offs if they are to reach the Premier League.
Derby boss Nigel Clough had put Burnley in the running for automatic promotion in his programme notes, but Coyle admitted: "If it was going to be achievable, we had to win today.
"We are disappointed to concede so late, but it was the manner of the goal which was really disappointing.
"We have shown what a good team we are and we bossed the majority of the game.
"Derby caused us more problems in the first half and I couldn't see a goal coming, but we switched off.
"It was a great finish, but there were three individual errors on our part in the build-up and you have to see the game out."
There was also personal disappointment for Burnley midfielder, Graham Alexander, whose record of having played in every minute of his team's 53-game season ended when he was forced off near the end with a calf strain.
"He's had a problem with a hamstring, but he tweaked his calf," Coyle added.
"I'm disappointed for him, but we want him to be fit for the start of the next game, although he was reluctant to come off."
But even when Alexander made his exit with nine minutes remaining, Burnley looked in control, although Clough believed his side merited something from an entertaining encounter.
He said: "We think we deserved it over the course of the game. We felt we more than matched them for long periods.
"It was drifting towards 0-0 and it seemed that both teams were in that sort of mentality, but we gave away a soft goal and, for 10 or 15 minutes after that, they knocked it about well and we could see why they are up there.
"But we are really pleased with the way we went about it today and it's another game chalked off.
"We are in a better position than we were before the game and we are creeping towards that 50-points mark, if that's what it's going to be.
"We are edging clear and we are putting in battling performances.
"Anything that we get at Cardiff on Wednesday will be a bonus and we are just ticking the games off and, the nearer to May 3 that we get, the better."
Derby certainly gave Burnley a few scares in the first half when goalkeeper, Brian Jensen had to make saves from Gary Teale and Rob Hulse, but the visitors were gifted the lead when Albrechtsen and Bywater collided, leaving McCann with an empty net.
After that, Burnley were rarely troubled, but, in the third minute of stoppage time, Teale whipped in a cross from the left and Connolly threw himself full length at the back post to head his first goal for the club.
