CLARETS match winner Ashley Barnes was delighted to pay back Sean Dyche for returning him to the starting line-up with the goal that secured Burnley’s first win of the season.

Barnes started the clash with Hull City alongside Danny Ings, which represented quite a turnaround in fortunes for the 25-year-old striker, who was left out of the squad entirely at Arsenal last Saturday.

While some players may have spent the week feeling sorry for themselves having missed out on a place on at least the bench for the first time this season, Barnes decided to knuckle down in training and prove that he was worth his place on the pitch.

“It’s been hard this season but you have to get your head down and fight for a place and I have done that,” said the former Brighton striker.

“I took it hard last week but got my head down and worked hard in training to put questions in his mind.

“Luckily he started me on Saturday and I have given something back to him.”

Barnes’ 50th minute header was his first goal in the Premier League in only his second start.

This is his first season in the top flight and it means he has now played in the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two and Conference already in his career.

As a youngster at Plymouth he experienced five loan moves as he tried to prove himself to the Pilgrims, taking in Oxford, Salisbury, Eastbourne, Torquay and Brighton before the latter decided to make his move permanent at the start of the 2010/11 season.

Having had to fight his way through the leagues, he is now determined to enjoy his Premier League experience.

“I have played in nearly every league possible, right from the bottom,” said Barnes, “so it’s a dream come true to play in the Premier League and to get off the mark and it’s the first of many hopefully.

“I just threw my head at it and it paid off. Maybe our luck is changing which is what we need.”

The first league win of the season, at the 11th attempt, silenced a growing army of doubters who were beginning to wonder if the Clarets would become the first ever side to go through a Premier League season without registering a win.

But Barnes isn’t concerned about what they think, and insists belief in the camp is still high.

“We believe and our changing room believes,” he said. “A lot of people don’t believe and maybe have written us off already but we believe and that’s all that matters. We believe in our own ability.

“We are now going into the international break on a high and then we come back, work hard and go again.

“We will take it one game at a time and see where we go. But like I say, we believe. We are going out to win. What have we got to lose?

“We are the new boys in the Premier League so everyone is going to write us off but if we keep playing like that there’s every chance we can stay in this league.”

Barnes quickly struck up an understanding with Danny Ings again, having partnered him towards the end of last season in Sam Vokes’ absence, and he was full of praise for the workrate of the England Under 21 international, as well as the performances at the back.

“He ran his socks off,” Barnes said of his strike partner. “He was blowing at the end and couldn’t even move in the changing room.”

“Defensively we were fantastic. We have conceded a few goals of late but to keep a clean sheet for Tom is brilliant.”