Burnley 0 West Brom 1 - Report and pictures

Eight minutes after coming on, the substitute striker gave Albion the lead with a well-taken finish made out of sheer determination, and then seven minutes before the end he was shown a straight red for leading with his arm.

Albion managed to hold on to all three points in his absence to record back-to-back victories at the start of the season in the top tier for the first time since 1978, but Robson-Kanu's contribution was one that epitomised his Albion career so far.

The Wales international has been forced to work for every single minute in a Baggies shirt since his arrival last summer, and his commitment can never be questioned.

In the 71st minute, the never-say-die striker latched onto a Matt Phillips flick-on from an innocuous hook forward from Chris Brunt.

He beat Matt Lowton to the ball before holding off James Tarkowski and firing his shot in at Tom Heaton's near post.

It was the first time in the whole game, 71 minutes in, that Tony Pulis's side had threatened from open play.

Unitil then, neither team had managed to gain an upper hand in a match epitomised by titanic aerial clashes in both boxes.

Although Burnley had edged it on the deck, the hosts were made to pay for some woeful finishing that left Ben Foster fetching the ball from the advertising hoardings more often than not. They had 19 shots and just one on target.

But that same desire that helped him score the goal, also proved to be Robson-Kanu's downfall eight minutes from time, when his leading arm caught Lowton in the face.

Referee Martin Atkinson deemed it bad enough for a straight red, although there will be question marks why Sam Vokes escaped a similar offence on Ahmed Hegazi in the first half without so much as a yellow.

For the second game in a row, Albion kept a clean sheet without influential skipper Jonny Evans.

The Northern Irishman didn't travel with the squad because of his hamstring injury, although his absence from the trip will spark further speculation his exit to Manchester City is drawing near.

Claudio Yacob was also left out of the squad after reporting his own hamstring problem on Friday, which meant 19-year-old Sam Field kept his place in the starting line-up while mid-week signing Gareth Barry played his first game for Albion, but his 629th in the Premier League.

Arcade Fire's 'Wake Up' was played as the teams walked onto the pitch and Lowton should have taken that advice, because two minutes in James McClean robbed him of possession in the final third.

The winger decided against crossing to Jay Rodriguez, and burst into the box instead, only to see his shot blocked.

Both teams were bypassing midfield in the early stages, arrowing long balls of varying quality forward.

But Rodriguez, who came up through the Burnley academy and scored 41 goals in 128 appearances for the Clarets, had a chance 10 minutes in to score against his home-town club when Chris Brunt's corner found him at the near post.

However, the £12m signing couldn't divert his chance goal-wards, and after some early Albion pressure, Burnley started to get the ball down and play.

Jeff Hendrick lashed a half-volley on the bounce inches wide of Foster's post and the Clarets started peppering the Baggies box with balls.

Ahmed Hegazi, who had already been forced off after a clash of heads with Craig Dawson, then had his wound reopened by a Sam Vokes elbow.

Although it wasn't a wild swing from the Burnley striker, he was lucky to escape a yellow card.

But Vokes was causing problems in the air, and it was his knock-down on the half-hour mark that Johann Berg Gudmundsson curled inches wide of Foster's far post.

The Icelandic winger went close again a minute later, rising highest in the box, but his header was easily clasped by Foster.

Dyche's team were getting closer though, and they should have taken the lead eight minutes before the break when a nice move up the left took Jake Livermore and Matt Phillips out of the game.

Jack Cork skipped bast Barry with ease but then Robbie Brady's delivery was missed completely by Vokes, who had a free header six yards out.

The hosts were on top, and all of Albion's best chances were coming from corners. They came closest not long after when Phillips's cross was flicked on by Rodriguez and bounced off the back of Field's head four yards out and popped over the bar.

Field wasn't looking the right way but Ben Mee was, and just before half-time he missed the best chance of the lot, somehow heading wide from four yards out after stealing a march on Barry.

The Baggies needed to improve in the second half and two minutes after the break they had the ball in the net when Jake Livermore lashed in a rebound via a deflection, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside because the stand-in skipper's original volley hit Rodriguez in an offside position.

But Burnley soon got back on top, and thanks to a couple of mis-controls from Livermore and Field, they started to turn the screw.

However, their finishing continued to let them down and when Pulis brought on Robson-Kanu, it made an immediate impact.

The Wales international was full of running up front, and with just under 20 minutes to go, he gave Albion a surprise lead.

Burnley were shell-shocked as the Baggies grew in stature, but then 12 minutes later, Robson-Kanu let them back in.

His challenge was a stupid one, borne out of determination more than malice, but arguably deserved a red.

If it did though, then perhaps Vokes's arm that caught Hegazi in the first half did as well.

After that, Burnley flooded forward, but they blazed two more good chances over the bar and the Baggies escaped with all three points.

Teams

Burnley (4-5-1): Heaton (c); Lowton, Tarkowski, Mee, Ward; Gudmundsson (Barnes 77), Cork, Hendrick, Defour, Brady (Walters 77); Vokes. Unused subs: Pope, Taylor, Westwood, Long, Arfield.

Albion (4-1-4-1): Foster; Nyom, Dawson, Hegazi, Brunt; Barry; Phillips, Livermore (c), Field (Rondon 84), McClean (Robson-Kanu 63); Rodriguez. Unused subs: Myhill, Wilson, Harper, Leko, Chadli.

Referee: Martin Atkinson