Dave does catch up...

The Championship?s top two places and automatic promotion is up for grabs and all to play for. The Clarets are just two points behind Leeds United and Chris Wilder?s Blades. The stage is set, and the big question is will Leeds United blow it and fall apart at the seams yet again. History is definitely not on their side as Sir Alex Ferguson?s ?Squeaky Bum Time? kicks in.

Dave Thornley Clarets Mad analyst in chief writes, Sheffield United?s infuriating 1-0 win in the ?Steel City Derby? has seen Burnley shunted back down into third place in the Championship table, two points behind the Blades. We just can?t shake them off.

Amidst the turbulence experienced by the teams around them, however, Burnley are remaining admirably ? astonishingly ? consistent. Unbeaten now in 25 league games, Scott Parker?s team have established a new record for the second tier of keeping the most clean sheets, and this with eight more matches still to be played. The Clarets? defensive stinginess is likely, come the season end, to have established a new second tier benchmark for the fewest goals conceded.

These are statistics to be proud of, but perhaps not to recount dewy-eyed to one?s grandchildren.

Sandwiched between two productive trips to South Wales (a 2-1 win in Cardiff and yesterday?s 2-0 victory over Swansea) were home games against struggling Luton Town which was won with some ease, and a gruelling encounter against a tough West Brom team, emerging with a 1-1 draw and the added bonus of CJ Egan-Riley?s red card being rescinded.

Egan-Riley has been a stalwart for Burnley this season, and his dodging of a three game suspension is a timely boost, as is his call up to the England Under 21 squad. Well deserved too.

Previously, I have voiced some criticism of Burnley?s style of play under Parker: the tactical straitjacket imposed on the players; the lack of fluidity and attacking zest; the tedious ?mucking around at the back?, which they have largely got away with, but which Premier League teams would seize upon and punish.

Burnley are a well-drilled, organised and cohesive unit, and have, in recent games, grafted greater attacking fluency onto their defensive solidity and as such are now a little easier on the eye than they were at times earlier in the season.

Whilst it is far from perfect and some of my criticisms remain, now that the business end of the season is upon us, this is no time to dwell upon them., No, this is the time to get behind the team as they look to complete the job.

Editor's note: Adding my own two penneth, my 9-year-old grandson claims we have the cleanest sheets outside of a Chinese laundry which ultimately might just give the Clarets the edge when it comes down to nabbing one of those highly coveted top two automatic promotion places. With the much improved and newly called up for Tuchel's full England squad, our very own Jimmy Trafford between the sticks, anything is possible. We live in hope (TEC).