THE message from inside the Burnley camp in the week that they gained a seven-point advantage at the top of the Championship was that they would not take their substantial cushion for granted; that there were twists and turns to come in their final nine games.

On the day that their lead was trimmed to four points, it was highlighted that it is not just weekends that can alter the promotion picture, but also mere moments in games.

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Having led 2-0, challengers Brighton were left facing a stoppage time equaliser from the penalty spot against 10-man MK Dons.

But in a replica of Burnley’s Reading incident last month, the ball was kicked off the spot, and Carl Baker missed, after a two-minute period between the penalty being awarded and taken.

Back at Turf Moor, and Sam Vokes’ second-half header looked like being enough to keep Burnley on the winning track.

But just moments after Brighton managed to hang on to all three points, the Clarets let two of theirs slip through their grasp when Wolves equalised in stoppage time.

Having gone into the day four points clear in first place, following Middlesbrough’s late win over Hull City in Friday night’s battle of the promotion pushers, they were no worse off. While their winning run had been stopped at six, their unbeaten run had stretched to 15.

But there was an unshakeable sense of what might have been that was worn on the faces of all the players post-match.

It was unfamiliar territory for them. They had only dropped points from winning positions once this season, and never before at home.

Having to settle for a draw at Sheffield Wednesday following Andre Gray’s third-minute opener, Burnley went on to win seven of their next eight games.

A replica of that run will hand them the Championship title, and manager Sean Dyche has two weeks to prepare his troops for a similar response.

And perhaps it is the mental break that will do them more good than the physical.

Mid-table Wolves have picked up after a poor run of results and went into the game with four points from a possible six from home games against Birmingham and Bristol City, while they had upset Derby’s promotion bid with a 2-1 win at Molineux at the end of last month.

While they offered little in attack in the first half at Turf Moor, they offered such a rigid rearguard that the Clarets struggled to get close to testing goalkeeper Carl Ikeme.

There was an early sight of goal for Andre Gray, against his hometown team, but despite good delivery from strike partner and former Molineux man Sam Vokes the top scorer could not connect.

Vokes was then close to playing in Scott Arfield through the middle, but the ball ran away from the new Canada call-up.

Burnley’s early tempo was soon stifled by Wolves and they became reliant on balls into the box from wide areas rather than pace and penetration. Vokes was presented with a great chance from one such instance, when he received Matt Lowton’s whipped-in cross from the right, but the striker’s volley cleared the bar.

When moves broke down the Clarets found themselves with counter attacks to contend with. And they did.

Improvements were anticipated after a half-time pep-talk, but Wolves’ gameplan continued to get the better of Burnley, and it was the visitors who looked like they might draw first blood.

An early corner was only half cleared and it needed Stephen Ward to block Matt Doherty’s shot before Heaton scooped up the follow-up from Jed Wallace.

The woodwork then came to the rescue as momentum stayed with Kenny Jackett’s side. Jack Price’s 30-yard drive bounced off the base of the left hand upright and the rebound was defended. Then, after a free-kick was blocked by the Clarets’ wall, Conor Coady blazed over.

Burnley began to look more threatening and when David Jones’ free-kick was scrambled behind by Doherty at the near right post they sensed a weakness.

Gray went shoulder to shoulder with Hause in the box, went down, but there was no penalty.

George Boyd picked up the loose ball, but lifted it over Ikeme’s goal.

Burnley’s breakthrough came soon after, but not before surviving another scare at the opposite end when Saville had a chance saved.

Heaton released the ball quickly and Lowton made progress down the right before laying off to Joey Barton, whose precise cross was met by a towering Vokes and a terrific header.

Jackett rang the changes – three to Burnley’s one – to try to affect the outcome. And his final substitution proved pivotal. The Clarets contested the award of a stoppage time corner, but it was taken by Nathan Byrne and headed in by Danny Batth in the second of four added minutes. It was a crushing, late blow.

But Burnley cannot concern themselves with what might have been.

They must take the point, and the positives of staying unbeaten, and move on.