Lincoln City came from behind to thrash hapless Burnley 4-1 and pile the pressure on Clarets head coach Nicky Hayen.

Burnley were bright in the first half and took the lead as striker Andreas Hountondji tapped in his first goal for the club, in his 17th appearance.

The Lancashire club's tendency to concede late in a half cost them again, however, as Ben House knocked in a close-range equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

With just one win in the league, Burnley fell apart in the second half as giant Danish striker Mikkel Ladefoged scored twice either side of a neat Dom Jefferies goal to ensure the visitors remained in the bottom three.

The visitors even saw Marcus Edwards have a penalty brilliantly saved by George Wickens as they struggled to mount any serious threat in a dire second half, following the departure of the experienced Kyle Walker at half-time.

This was the first league meeting between these sides since the 1998-99 season and Lincoln, who were still searching for their first home win of the season, pushed hard for an opener, leaving themselves open to swift Burnley counter-attacks.

It was with some irony, then, that Burnley went ahead through a set-piece, as Largie Ramazani's whipped, curling corner somehow reached the far post where Benin international Hountondji had the simplest of tasks to touch it home.

That came after Max Alleyne had a goalbound shot cleared off the line by Reeco Hackett and Wickens had to throw out a leg to deny Dastan Satpayev.

Lincoln struck back in typical fashion as the Burnley defence watched Andrei Coubis' long throw bounce in the penalty area and reach House at the far post for another simple finish.

With Walker not emerging for the second half, the Clarets imploded, as Ladefoged caused havoc from crosses into the box. When he contested a Hackett cross and the ball fell to Jefferies, the midfielder poked it goalwards and the 6ft 8in Dane thrashed home from a few yards out.

Burnley were in disarray and when they fluffed several attempts to clear a corner Jefferies coolly picked out the far corner of the net from 18 yards.

Ladefoged, who had previously only scored once this season, tripled his tally with a textbook header after House had placed the ball perfectly on his head.

Burnley brightened as the Imps eased off and substitute Edwards teed up Hountondji to hit the post before he missed from the spot after Hountondji had been bundled over by Ryley Towler.

Lincoln City joint-head coach Tom Shaw told BBC Radio Lincolnshire:

"We knew this was an important day and a big opportunity, and a dangerous opponent, so I'm just delighted at that feeling at full-time for everybody.

"The lads went after it, especially in the second half, were relentless with their work and got a big reward.

"After a little discussion at half-time, we felt we could be a little more ruthless. We thought they were there for the taking and our lads were a little bit tentative at certain moments.

"But they went right after it for that second 45 minutes of football. In every area of the game we were far superior."

Burnley head coach Nicky Hayen told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"We actually did OK [in the first half], they didn't create a really big opportunity. We didn't play our best football ourselves in the first half but we created two corner kicks as we had in the training session, had one saved on the line and the second was a goal.

"Then we concede another easy goal, a throw-in goes towards the second post and no-one takes responsibility to clear it, and they react quicker than us.

"Then it's another easy goal, and it's the story of the season - you feel it in the confidence, and in the second half you saw it."

[Asked if he will be in charge next week] "I don't know. I know it's a really hard defeat and something to think about for the board also.

"In the past maybe I lost my energy, but I'm not going to lose my energy because this is something out of my hands."