BURNLEY boss Brian Laws hailed Chris Eagles as ‘unplayable’ after the winger continued his superb form with a brace in last night’s thumping 4-0 home win over Hull City.

Eagles and Chris Iwelumo both scored twice as the Clarets moved up to fifth in the Championship table, and the winger has now been handed the man of the match award in each of Burnley's last three games.

The 24-year-old, who ended uncertainty over his future by signing a new contract last month, has often been criticised for a lack of consistency but appears to be maturing as a player.

Eagles even came to close to a hat-trick last night when an audacious 40-yard chip was saved by Hull keeper Matt Duke, and Laws believes there are few better players in the Championship right now.

“When he’s on form like that, and he’s working as hard for the team off the ball as on the ball, he’s unplayable,” said the Burnley boss.

“It might be time to rest him now! I said to him if he’d have scored that chip I’d have taken him off there and then!

“That’s his confidence for you, to see the goalkeeper off his line and be cheeky enough to try it.

“After the good performances we’ve had lately we were always worried it could be after the Lord Mayor’s Show, but it was a thoroughly good win against a good side.

“Eagles and Iwelumo will obviously take the headlines but the midfield were spot on, and the full backs were outstanding.

“I think we’ve played better in our last few games, but we didn’t get the rewards.

“We should have had at least another four points.”

The Clarets are now only two points away from the automatic promotion spots and kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet for the first time since a run two seasons ago that ended with the play-off final at Wembley.

“It’s so pleasing to have four clean sheets on the bounce, which tells us we’ve got a base to work from,” said Laws.

“We shipped in so many goals last season and over 100 and odd goals over two seasons, which is ridiculous.

“At times the back line have been superb but they’re only as good as what’s in front of them and the whole team is working as hard off the ball as on it.”

Meanwhile, Laws was glad that Eagles managed to wrestle the ball off centre back Andre Bikey to take a second-half penalty, which the winger converted with aplomb.

“The one thing I didn’t discuss was who was going to take a penalty,” said Laws, who left out regular penalty taker Graham Alexander.

“I did think they had enough experience to sort it out themselves but at one point I thought I’d have to go on there and split them up! Ten of them wanted to take it.

“Even Andre has gone up and wanted it. Credit to Chris, Andre’s a big lad but he’s pulled the ball and got it off him.

“Even I would have gone on and took it off Andre!”