IT was only 10 miles away from the scene of the last away win, but the 357 days Burnley had gone without tasting success on the road had begun to feel like it was never going to end.

But just as most Clarets had accepted that winning away in the Premier League this season wasn’t going to happen, the duck was broken on a memorable late afternoon at Selhurst Park.

Just as those travelling fans had partied in the sun at Charlton on the last day of last season, the Championship title secured, now they could celebrate in the stands at Crystal Palace, a place in the Premier League for next season surely sewn up.

Once again nerves had begun to jangle after last week’s results, with Hull and Swansea claiming victories to close the gap.

Given Burnley’s away record this season nobody travelled to south London with much hope, and eyes were metaphorically raised on social media when the team news came through.

But we should have learned by now that Sean Dyche knows best and his changes worked, brilliantly.

Scott Arfield worked his socks off on the left, offering valuable protection to first Stephen Ward and then Jon Flanagan against Palace’s dangerous wide men, while Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes were unplayable at times up front.

They won countless headers against Damien Delaney and Martin Kelly and after Barnes had put Burnley ahead, he made way for the pace of Andre Gray, who finished the job on the break.

After 17 fruitless away trips this season finally the staff, players and fans could celebrate, and the timing was perfect. Victory lifted Burnley above Palace and back to within two points of ninth place. A top half finish is now a realistic target with two Turf Moor games to come.

Following the Clarets on the road in the Premier League can be an arduous task with rewards few and far between. This was only their fifth win in 55 away games in this division, and surely their best.

Six teams had gone through a Premier League season without winning away. Burnley won’t be making at a not-so-magnificent seven.

Dyche and his players had insisted it doesn’t matter where the points come from, as long as enough are accrued for safety, but they didn’t want to write their names into the record books for the wrong reasons.

After weathering a brief early storm from Palace, with Tom Heaton saving from Christian Benteke after a string of corners, the Clarets struck inside 10 minutes.

Barnes had won possession before Vokes found the outstanding Ashley Westwood. He went wide to Stephen Ward who put a low cross on a plate for Barnes. He miskicked his first effort but the ricochet fell perfectly for him to finish at the second attempt.

It was the Clarets who looked more likely to score again, with Barnes seeing an effort correctly disallowed before Wayne Hennessey shovelled a Vokes header away.

Burnley controlled the Palace threat well but were indebted to their captain for another stunning save in the second half, as he flew to his right to tip a Delaney volley over the bar, having comfortably held a Luka Milivojevic volley earlier in the half.

It was left to Gray to make sure the final five minutes could turn into a celebration. He latched on to George Boyd’s wonderful outside of the foot pass and fired past Hennessey at the near post.

These days have been rare in the Premier League for the Clarets, and they were going to savour this one.