BURNLEY’S goal scoring hero Sam Vokes has praised the impact of Joey Barton on the Clarets recent run of form.

Vokes netted the winning goal against Championship leaders Hull City, pouncing after Allan McGregor had spilt a Barton shot.

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That extended Burnley’s unbeaten league run to seven games and moved them to within a point of the top two and the Clarets frontman believes Barton once again played a big part in setting the tone for the victory, along with his midfield partner David Jones.

“Joey is very important, he gets stuck in,” Vokes said of the 33-year-old Barton.

“It’s a game we dominated in midfield, and that came from Jonah (David Jones) and Joey - they put in two big performances.

“It was important to put a big press on and we managed to do that.

“For the goal, he (Barton) got a great strike in, as he did for the free kick, it bounced in front of the keeper and made it hard for him, and I was there to tuck it away.

“But his general performance was very strong.”

It was a view shared by boss Sean Dyche, who added of Barton: “He’s been very good, he’s enjoying his football but he’s in a team of very good people, not just players.

“Joey’s going about his business in a good manner.”

Vokes also acknowledged the work of his strike partner Andre Gray, who went without a goal on Saturday but worked the Tigers backline hard with his constant running.

The duo have 24 Burnley goals between them this season and 10 in the unbeaten Championship run which stretches back to the 3-0 defeat at Hull on Boxing Day.

“It’s always important for strikers to be getting in and among the goals, and for me, it’s a good little run I’m on at the minute, but I just want to keep that going,” said Vokes, who has four goals in his last six games.

“I think Andre was a nuisance again, and had a great game. He didn’t get his goal, but the work rate he put in was fantastic.

“I think we both work hard for each other. Hull probably came and sat back a little bit, and it was important the two of us worked hard, and put in a big shift.”

Vokes could have doubled his tally moments after scoring, but he took a heavy touch when free in the area and then went down under McGregor’s challenge.

While Dyche believes his side should have had a penalty, Vokes wasn’t so sure.

“It was a little bit dramatic, to be fair,” he said.

“I said to McGregor at the end, and he said he caught me, but it was one of those. I didn’t expect a penalty. The ball got away from me, I was probably more gutted I didn’t take the chance when it first landed to be honest.

“I’ll probably get battered for trying to get down, but it’s how it goes sometimes, it’s the way it is.

“I’ll hold my hands up, he’s probably caught me, but it wasn’t a penalty.

“I should have just taken the shot when it first came to me, but luckily we managed to get the win.”