Kevin Kyle was sent-off for the second time this season as Coventry City slipped to their fifth defeat in six matches in the Championship.
Burnley went ahead when Ade Akinbiyi converted a Wade Elliott cross but a strike from skipper Michael Doyle deservedly put Iain Dowie's men back on level terms fifteen minutes later.
Kyle saw red for a second booking early on in the second-half and after Michael Mifsud had an excellent shout for a penalty turned down, Akinbiyi set-up Robbie Blake to grab a winner.
Iain Dowie made six changes to the side after last weekend's dismal 2-0 defeat at Leicester and Michael Mifsud could have given them a dream start when he shot straight at goalkeeper Brian Jensen after finding himself free in the area.
And it proved a costly miss as the Clarets raced ahead in the tenth minute as Blake found Wade Elliott out on the right and he crossed for Akinbiyi to fire under Dimi Konstantopoulos from ten yards.
A glancing header from Mifsud then forced a comfortable save from Jensen before Elliott Ward headed over Julian Gray's free-kick from the left as City looked for a quick response.
But Burnley continued to pose a threat on the counter attack with Blake stinging Konstantopoulos' fingers from 20-yards.
However, Doyle drew the Sky Blues level midway through the half.
The City skipper saw an initial shot blocked, but after Jensen had foiled Michael Hughes and Kevin Kyle from the rebound, Doyle blasted the ball into the roof of the net from close-range.
And he almost doubled his tally on the half hour when a speculative shot from the edge of the box flew narrowly wide of the top corner.
A fine save from Jensen low down to his right then denied Mifsud while at the other end a first-time effort from Akinbiyi was well held by Konstantopoulos.
However, after making a bright start to the second-half, City were reduced to ten-men in the 56th minute when Kyle - already booked for a challenge on Jon Harley - saw red for the second time this season for a lunge on Graham Alexander.
Nevertheless, the Sky Blues continued to do most of the attacking with Hughes and Davis sending shots over the bar, the latter with a fierce drive from fully 35-yards.
Referee Eddie Ilderton then took centre stage as he waved away adamant claims for a penalty after David Unsworth appeared to bring down Mifsud as the striker bore down on goal.
And it proved to be a major turning point in the match as Burnley re-took the lead from their very next attack.
The lively Akinbiyi took advantage of a slip from Doyle and squared the ball to Joey Gudjonsson, who found Blake in the area and the experienced striker coolly side-stepped a City challenge before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
City battled back again with Michael Hughes blasting over from long-range and Mifsud firing at Jensen before seeing another long-range effort flash wide.
Their best chance of rescuing a point also fell to the Maltese international in the dying seconds, but after showing great control to pluck a long ball out of the air, his shot was blocked by Jon Harley.
Coventry City: Konstantopoulos, Osbourne, De Zeeuw, Ward, Davis (S Hughes, 82), Tabb (Simpson, 87), M Hughes, Doyle, Gray (Adebola, 69), Mifsud, Kyle. Subs: Borrowdale, Thornton.
Goals: Doyle (25)
Booked: Kyle, Ward, De Zeeuw
Sent-off: Kyle (56)
Burnley: Jensen, Alexander (c), Varga, Unsworth, Harley, Elliott, J O'Connor (Mahon, 59), Gudjonsson (Spicer, 75), McCann, Blake, Akinbiyi (Jones, 81). Subs: Kiraly (GK), Jordan.
Goals: Akinbiyi (10), Blake (68)
Booked: Alexander, Blake, Harley, Varga
Attendance: 17,347 (1,121 Burnley)
