Clarets striker Andy Cooke has his sights set on automatic promotion after helping Burnley to end their away-day hoodoo at Bournemouth.

The 1-0 win, Burnley's first success on the road in Division Two since last October, lifted Stan Ternent's men up to fourth place in the table.

They are now just six points behind second-placed Bristol Rovers, with a game in hand, and three points adrift of Wigan, next Saturday's opponents in a potential Turf Moor cracker.

And Cooke didn't disguise the value of the Dean Court victory as he looks towards the top two places.

"It was very important. We don't want to be going into any play-offs or anything, we want to be going straight up and we are going to have to start winning away from home.

"We came here knowing we needed to get three points. The gaffer didn't come for a draw. We came here to win the game and that's what we did.

"I probably found it harder than last week (when Burnley had 10 men). I don't know whether it was the journey, and the pitch wasn't the best, but we came through it and it was another great three points.

"It has proved a hard place for us to come down the years and I think we did ourselves credit to come through the way we did." It was a productive weekend for the Clarets as Wigan and Millwall were both beaten and Bristol Rovers were held at home by Scunthorpe.

Burnley's challenge appears to be gathering momentum at just the right time but despite Cooke's positive intent, there will be no getting carried away.

"I believe the other results went well for us but it's no good worrying about everyone else," added Cooke, who again ran his socks off for the cause. As long as we keep winning and putting in performances then hopefully we shouldn't have anything to worry about.

"This is a very big six weeks but all we can do is go into every game and look positive and try and get the three points."

One cloud on the horizon, however, is the impending three-match ban for Andy Payton, whose expertly taken 19th-League goal of the season gave Burnley the points at Dean Court.

Payton's suspension starts on Saturday and Cooke is looking to be among those to make up the missing goals quota.

"Andy's coming up with the goals which is brilliant. And obviously without goals you don't win games.

"But we've got to get on with it. That's part and parcel of the game and you've got to accept it," Cooke added.

"We've got players in the side and that can come into the side who can score goals. I'm disappointed on a personal note that the goals aren't coming as regularly as they can do, but as long as I'm putting in good performances and helping the team win that's all I can do.

"And as long as the gaffer's happy with my performances I'm going to keep my shirt."

Ternent was naturally delighted with the outcome as Ian Cox enjoyed a successful return to his former club and helped Burnley keep a third clean sheet in four games. "It's a very difficult place to come. A lot of sides will come to Bournemouth and get nothing, never mind three points. So all-in-all it was a very pleasing performance," Ternent said.

However, he played down the status of next Saturday's showdown as he continues to take the longer term view of the promotion race.

"Next week's game is no more important than this week's or last week's. There are three points at stake and we will be trying our utmost to get them.

"We have got 54 points now so that's the first target achieved," added the boss, who isn't worrying about a relegation battle this time around.

"We've got 51 to play for from 17 matches and our intention is to get as many of them as we can and we'll see where that takes us."

John Mullin was withdrawn on Saturday with an abductor strain and will be under treatment ahead of the match against Wigan, whose shock 1-0 home defeat by Colchester was their fifth game without a win.

The Clarets' scheduled youth team game against Carlisle was postponed.

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