PRIOR to Saturday’s match, it had been suggested that Crystal Palace at home was exactly the kind of game Burnley needed to win if they had genuine aspirations of making a concerted push for the top six: in which case, job done.

Of course, it always helps to settle the nerves and boost the confidence if you can get off to a good start. And Jay Rodriguez’s stunning 25-yard screamer after only two minutes was just what the doctor ordered.

There have been any number of well-qualified judges lining up to sing Jay-Rod’s praises in recent weeks. And given his performances over that period it would be difficult to argue against them.

Only 21, the home-grown Claret still has much to learn in order to justify the lavish praise being heaped on his young shoulders. Yet he has shown in bursts this season that there is plenty of potential to be tapped.

This is just as well, as Burnley are likely to be relying on him pretty heavily for the remainder of this season as they attempt to negotiate their way into the play-offs.

With both Steven Thompson and Martin Paterson both out of the picture, the news that Charlie Austin will be sidelined for the rest of the campaign came as some-thing of a hammer blow.

Yet to every cloud a silver lining. And the enforced absence of the three strikers mentioned above will at least allow Rodriguez to continue his development, and indeed to work on his partnership with fellow centre forward, Chris Iwelumo.

Saturday’s win against a struggling Eagles side was not, perhaps, the prettiest game of football played out at Turf Moor in recent years.

Yet the old cliché rings true. What’s important at this stage of the season isn’t how you get the points, but getting them.

Just like the Clarets’ derby day victory at Deepdale, the execution against Crystal Palace may have been ugly.

It’s doubtful that there would be too many complaints if there was more of the same this evening at Hull.