IT is to be hoped Jay Rodriguez doesn’t suffer from a fear of cotton wool, because there’s a strong temptation to wrap him up in the stuff right now.

After Charlie Austin was the latest to be ruled out for the season with a dislocated shoulder, joining fellow forwards Steven Thompson and Martin Paterson on the long-term casualty list, responsibility is beginning to weigh increasingly heavily on the young striker.

But if the last two games are anything to go by, the 21-year-old is shouldering it well.

His second goal in as many Championship games – an exquisite strike from 25 yards – took him to double figures for the season so far and kept Burnley well in touch with not only the top six, but if they play their cards right, notably in their two games in hand, second spot is in reach too.

It is as pertinent to keep Rodriguez fit as it is firing. The same goes for Chris Iwelumo and Chris Eagles.

More will be asked of the joint top scorers unless there are reinforcements from the loan market.

If not the duo have proved that, with 11 goals each, there is still plenty of ammunition in this side.

It’s just a mystery how Burnley weren’t more deadly in this game.

Fans were anticipating a rout after Rodriguez broke the deadlock with his third in three league and cup games, in the third minute.

Chances were lined up for Iwelumo, Ross Wallace, Jack Cork and Rodriguez again but a failure to convert them made for a rough second half ride knowing they had conceded in each of their last six Championship games.

But the Clarets picked a good time to earn their first clean sheet since Eddie Howe’s debut at Scunthorpe nine games beforehand.

The steel they showed at Preston last weekend, where Rodriguez scored another key goal, was in evidence again in their first home game for a month.

Clarke Carlisle got his head to everything Palace launched at them, Michael Duff was on his mettle to make key interceptions and blocks and the central defensive pairing had solid support from full backs Tyrone Mears and Danny Fox.

Defenders turned management duo, Howe and Jason Tindall, were pleased to see their rearguard endeavours at last rewarded with a shut-out.

“We played some great football in the first half,” said Tindall. “It was a shame we couldn’t repeat that in the second half but they threw everything at us.

“We defended well when we had to. We had to dig deep and we did that well as a team. I thought we showed two sides of our game.”

Individually, Rodriguez’s game continues to mature.

The homegrown forward wasn’t having his most eye-catching spell of the season when he was called up to the England Under 21s last month.

But since making his debut, the opposition have taken their eyes off him at their peril.

If he’s not lurking around the box he is tracking back to retrieve possession so that Burnley can go again, using his burgeoning strength to ride challenges.

And, although a quiet lad off the field, he is certainly not shy on it.

When Cork picked the ball up in the left channel as the Clarets started well from the whistle, Rodriguez demanded the pass, looked up and, biting his tongue in sheer concentration, made debutant Lewis Price’s first job picking the ball out from the back of the net as he fired into the top corner from 25 yards.

“What a strike it was,” cooed Tindall. “It was worthy of winning any game.”

Just as well, because try as they might Burnley couldn’t build on it.

It needed a block from Duff in the box to stop Darren Ambrose sniffing out a quick equaliser, but after that Howe’s men were well in control.

Iwelumo held the ball up and pushed it wide for Mears before getting on the end of the right back’s ball back into the box. But the big Scot couldn’t get the power or direction that he would have hoped for to test Prince, in the goalkeeper’s first game in almost 14 months.

Mears then whipped in a ball for Rodriguez, who thumped a header narrowly wide.

With confidence brimming, Wallace tried to replicate Wayne Rooney’s overhead kick from Eagles’ cross to the far right post. The mind was willing, but the execution couldn’t live up to his ambition.

When the winger turned provider, Cork almost added to his legion of headed goals, but could only direct it straight at Price.

Another Iwelumo header, this time from Dean Marney’s delivery, again failed to cause Price problems before the break.

More questions were asked of Lee Grant, at the opposite end, after it – especially when Ambrose lined up free kicks within range.

The first was straight at the Burnley stopper, the second skimmed the top of the net but the third brought the save of the day from Grant, stretching high to his right.

By Ambrose’s final attempt, Wade Elliott had replaced Iwelumo. With a defensive bench it was the only attacking alteration Howe could make, and the winger combined effectively with Mears down the right.

When those advances broke down, the back line stood firm to protect Grant, and another precious win.