(Reuters) - A last-gasp goal from Jay Rodriguez helped Burnley snatch a 1-0 away victory over Bournemouth in a scrappy Premier League contest at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The result helped Burnley move into the top half of the league table, while Bournemouth remained 14th after 18 matches.
Both teams struggled to create chances in a physical mid-table clash played under heavy showers, with Bournemouth dominating possession.
Yet Burnley scored with their only attempt on target as forward Rodriguez nodded home a cross from Ashley Westwood in the 89th minute.
"What a header from J-Rod. We know we have to play better away," said Burnley boss Sean Dyche, whose team was languishing in the relegation zone at this stage last season.
"We were on 12 points (last season), it was really ugly, but we managed to find a way.
"The pleasing thing is, in the second half, they were better than us, but we stayed resolute to the task."
There were only five shots in the entire match, the fewest in a Premier League game since detailed data collection began in 2003-04.
The match was also disrupted by 34 fouls, with referee Martin Atkinson producing six yellow cards -- four being shown to the visitors.
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe said his players had failed to cope with the physical nature of the contest.
"Burnley did what they do," Howe said. "We expected the game that it was but we need to do better.
"The conditions played a part in that... there were a lot of challenges in the game that need reviewing."
Bournemouth next host Arsenal on Boxing Day, while Burnley face Everton in new manager Carlo Ancelotti's first match in charge.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Ian Chadband)
