ASHLEY Barnes hopes he is doing enough to make Sam Vokes wait for a return to the Burnley starting line-up.

Vokes could be days away from a long-awaited first-team comeback after being earmarked for a fifth appearance for the Clarets’ development squad against Blackpool today.

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But the in-form Barnes scored in stunning fashion in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur to make it three goals in seven games.

The 25-year-old admitted his 25-yard strike past France keeper Hugo Lloris was the best goal of his career and hopes his form will be enough to help him keep his place when Vokes is fully fit.

“I’d like to think so but you never know,” Barnes said.

“It’s the gaffer’s decision and whatever decision he makes, we need to go along with it.

“It was by far the best goal of my career on Saturday and to score a goal like that in the Premier League was magnificent. All I can take it from it is pride.

“It was one of those where as soon as it’s left your foot it’s going in, and to watch it go in was brilliant against a great keeper.

“It was nice to score and that’s what I’m here to do.

“When you’re not scoring it’s disappointing but I’m on a little run now and hopefully I can keep it going.”

Barnes is coming up to a year at Turf Moor after arriving from Brighton in early January, scoring on the day they secured promotion against Wigan.

He has started all of Burnley’s last seven matches and his form has come immediately after he was surprisingly left out of the squad for a defeat at Arsenal.

“Maybe it was the kick up the backside that I needed,” he said.

“But all I can do is try my best. If I’m in the team, I’m in. If I’m not all I can do is just train hard again.

“I’ve scored some crucial goals in my time here so far but it’s not stopped, I need to keep going and see how many I can get.

“There’s still a lot to come, I’m learning the trade.

“I want to improve every day and see where it takes us.”

Barnes, though, admitted he could not be fully satisfied on Saturday because the Clarets ultimately succumbed to defeat.

The result – combined with Charlie Austin’s hat-trick for QPR – saw them slip back into the relegation zone ahead of the Boxing Day home game against Liverpool.

“It’s not just about me and the goal,” Barnes said. “It was a disappointed changing room, we thought we could have got something from the game.

“The keeper made some great saves from Ingsy, especially the one with his face.

“We’re disappointed as a group but we’ll dust ourselves down and go again on Friday.

“It will be a full house at home right behind us and hopefully we can have give them a good Christmas.”