PHOTOS: Charlton Athletic 0, Burnley 1

After going almost 500 minutes without finding the net, the striker coasted in from the left before rifling a thunderous 25-yard effort in top the top corner.

Manager Sean Dyche, looking to arrest a six game winless run, including three outings without a goal, binned his loan striker philosophy by drafting Martin Paterson in as one of five changes.

David Edgar and Marvin Bartley deputised for injured midfield duo Chris McCann and Dean Marney, Junior Stanislas replaced Keith Treacy while loan signing Alex Kacaniklic was drafted in to the starting XI at the expense of Danny Ings.

The Addicks, boasting the worst home record in the Championship, carved the first opening when skipper Johnnie Jackson clipped a pass over Kieran Trippier but when Danny Haynes moved in to the space inside the area he miscued.

The early stages of the half were relatively open with both sides battling for the initiative, and as the Clarets asserted themselves on the fixture Paterson bent an effort over the angle from the edge of the area.

The Clarets, lining up in a 4-1-3-2 format, spread play well at times on an awkward surface, and in the next attack Austin headed in to the arms of David Button at the back post after Stanislas and Trippier had combined.

Chris Powell's side threatened once more when Ricardo Fuller's pass freed Jonathan Obika down the right and his lay-off to Lawrie Wilson saw the full-back whip in a cross towards the edge of the six-yard box where Haynes headed wide.

And moments later the hosts troubled the Clarets again when Lee Grant had to be alert to push Haynes's header from Jackson's corner over the bar. The resulting set-piece then saw former Claret Leon Cort lash a volley across the face of goal.

But after Michael Morrison squandered a great opportunity from close range, failing to bring Dorian Dervite's header under control, the visitors began to dictate.

Button parried Kacaniklic's left-footed drive from the angle of the area as the Fulham loanee shared a short corner with Stanislas before Austin';s low, driven effort from deep in the box was well blocked by Wilson.

But as the half came to a close Austin, desperate for a goal, collected the ball on the left, moved infield, and smashed a perfectly executed strike across Button and in to the far corner - his 25th of the campaign.

In the second half the home side expectedly applied the pressure but Dyche's men performed magnificently to defend their lead.

At times the pressure was sustained but a resolute, impermeable rearguard refused to let their opponents through as they put everything on the line to extinguish the Addicks's route one threat.

Pritchard and Fuller both fired wide of the target from identical positions outside the box early in the second half before Austin, under pressure from Wilson, had a great chance to double the lead when attempting to poke the ball beyond Button from close range after the keeper had spilled Trippier's cross.

That would be the last time the Clarets would test Button as they dropped deep once the hosts pushed players forward.

Grant sprawled to his post to turn Haynes's header for a corner after the striker out-jumped the Clarets defence to meet Wilson's centre before Morrison somehow failed to turn the ball in to the back of the net when Haynes's glancing header found the defender free at the back post.

As the Addicks continued to press, the Clarets continued to dig deep, winning the majority of their aerial battles to protect their advantage.

Long did well to block substitute Danny Green's volley on the line while Haynes was unable to steer home the loose ball and in a final push the Clarets defender, who signed a new deal at Turf Moor last week, made a last ditch challenge to prevent Morrison stabbing in the equaliser.

The three points saw the Clarets climb back up to 11th in the Championship table, leapfrogging rivals Rovers in the process, ahead of Tuesday's fixture with Barnsley on home soil.

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