Vokes wastes no time as he makes a big impact as sub

The Welshman had been on the pitch for just 22 seconds when tucking the ball in-between goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis’s legs once Adrian Mariappa had inadvertently helped on Ashley Westwood’s free kick.

It was the striker’s first top flight goal in five months, when netting the winner from the bench against Southampton at St Mary’s.

The 28-year-old said: “It was good. It was nice to get on the end of the cross soon after getting on. After being 1-0 down it’s great to turn that deficit in to a win and continue that run that we’re on at the minute.

“When you’re on the bench you’re looking on to see how you can affect the game and as a striker you want to get on the scoresheet so it was nice to get that.

“As soon as we got the free kick I said ‘get me on’. At the time the tide was turning and it was good to get that goal and it was even better to get that win in the end.”

Vokes, who netted twice for Wales in a 6-0 win over China in Ryan Giggs’s first game in charge last month, hasn’t started a game since the 1-0 defeat to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium in February.

But, with the likes of Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes bang in form, and the Clarets recording four wins on the bounce at this level for the first time in 50 years, Vokes isn’t complaining.

“Of course you want to be playing but the team is flying,” he said. “The boys up front have been scoring goals as well so there are no complaints from me.

“There is frustration because you want to be on the pitch but when you get the chance it’s all about taking it.

“When you’re on the bench, however long you get out on the pitch, it’s all about affecting the game. It was nice to do that and get the goal.

“We’ve got that freedom to take it on until the end of the season now.”