IF a picture tells a thousand words then the celebration snapshot after Danny Ings’ goal said it all.

Matt Taylor and George Boyd, on his return to Hull City, flanked the scorer, their faces a fascinating mixture of joy, relief and hope.

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Joy at a goal – Burnley’s first for more than 10 hours, which brought subsequent relief – and hope that it would be enough to at least take their fight on to the following weekend.

Ings’ commitment to the Clarets had been brought into question by some recently.

After helping the club win promotion to the Premier League a year ago, in a 26-goal season, he vowed to stay and help keep Burnley up.

With his contract running down in the process, the England Under-21 international has been accused of having his mind on other things during his run of 10 games without scoring.

But in taking his tally to 10 goals in his first top-flight season, charging towards the vocal travelling fans, eyes and mouth wide open, fists clenched, he showed how much it mattered.

Ultimately, it mattered not to their faint hopes of prolonging the relegation battle for at least one more weekend.

Burnley had to win to try to stave off relegation, but they also needed Sunderland, Leicester and Aston Villa not to get maximum points, and Newcastle not to pick up anything at all at home to West Brom.

With the Clarets falling foul of fine margins once too often this was no exception, and with every result going against them in the relegation battle they had a return to the Championship confirmed at full time.

Ings has only been able to fulfil part of his plan.

Fellow striker Ashley Barnes described it as a “kick in the teeth” for a club who took four points from defending champions Manchester City. But equally they will be kicking themselves over the ones that got away at various stages of the season.

Ings will get away from them this summer.

But if Burnley are to return to the Premier League much quicker than the last time, then it is imperative the powers-that-be limit the number of other exits.

Right back Kieran Trippier has performed consistently well and goalkeeper Tom Heaton has been mentioned in dispatches for an England call-up.

Captain Jason Shackell, older and wiser after his first taste of the Premier League with Norwich City, has acquitted himself well too.

And then there’s Sean Dyche, who would have been a shoe-in for manager of the year had he been able to secure another Premier League season for the Clarets. But even so, the fact that they have been able to take it to this late stage before their fate was sealed is testament to the work the manager has done with his modestly assembled squad.

Dyche would have in no way wished to break the bank and put Burnley in any long-term jeopardy, but the purse strings have been particularly tight and that must be a source of frustration to the 43-year-old.

His stock is high, and it is up to other clubs – and himself – on whether he capitalises on that or enhances it at Turf Moor, building again and bouncing back.

Ings has been allowed to run his contract down without much resistance and the Burnley board must do more to stop the same thing happening to their manager.

A new and improved offer must be made to Dyche, and the tools offered to help him formulate another promotion team.

If he was to turn that down, so be it.

The Burnley boss spoke of his thirst to manage in the Premier League and there is no reason why he cannot do that again with the Clarets at the next time of asking.

The fans who travelled to Hull City certainly showed their appreciation for the achievements of Dyche and his players.

The sold-out corner of the KC Stadium was in fine voice from first whistle to last and beyond.

Plenty of them would have been around when the Clarets survived a final day exit from the Football League just 28 years ago to the day.

They did not need to look far for footballing perspective.

But they were also appreciative of the effort, and potential.

Burnley needed the eye of the tiger at the home of the Tigers, and Ings’ eyes lit up when the ball dropped to him just after the hour. With Michael Dawson off the pitch for a bloody nose and change of shirt, Hull were a key defensive man down. Boyd’s cut-back was not cleared and the ball dropped invitingly.

After more than 10 hours of waiting for Burnley, and much longer for Ings himself, there was a goal to celebrate; a firm left-foot finish fired past Steve Harper, taking Ings to double figures in his first Premier League season.

Robbie Brady came the closest to an equaliser, rattling the crossbar with a carbon copy of his first half free kick.

Burnley hung on for the win, but not their Premier League status.

They might reflect on near misses that might have made a difference, but the Clarets cannot change their past. They can, however, affect their future.