BURNLEY manager Eddie Howe has urged his players to maintain their high standards as they bid to secure a top six spot by 2012.

The Clarets have made giant strides up the Championship after three wins on the spin elevated them from 21st position, where they dipped after a run of four straight defeats, to 11th place.

Three home games out of four between now and New Year’s Eve, starting with tomorrow’s visit of Portsmouth, present them with a great chance of moving into the play-off positions.

But Howe has warned they must not lose focus and risk their rise away from the relegation zone becoming a false dawn in their season.

“From my point of view we can’t get carried away. This is a massive period for us,” said the Clarets boss.

“It is a good opportunity for us, but we’ve seen in this league this year and last season that there have been false dawns and setbacks and disappointments and inconsistencies. So we really want to make the most of this opportunity and try to continue the run that we’re on.

“We’ve been working very hard all week to make sure that we haven’t got carried away at all and it’s just been a normal week’s preparation and we’re hopeful that will reflect in the performance.”

Howe admitted he had noticed a determination in his players to keep up the good work against his old club.

“I think sometimes the mentality in the group is such that we’re not content with three (wins), we want more,” said the former defender.

“Although the West Ham result was great we move straight on to the next game and think about Portsmouth, and we want to carry on where we left off in our last home game against Ipswich. It was a really good performance and we want to follow that up because the mark of a good team is being able to produce results week in, week out.”

And Howe is hoping the squad will benefit from increased selection options after strikers Charlie Austin and Martin Paterson announced their return to fitness in two behind-closed-doors games in the last two weeks.

Austin has been sidelined for three weeks with a dislocated shoulder, while Paterson hasn’t featured since the opening day of the season after suffering a thigh muscle tear.

Jay Rodriguez has led the line in their absence, with support from on-loan Wolves striker Sam Vokes, but Howe is relishing a selection headache.

“The lads coming back is great news for everybody,” he said.

“Pato’s been a long-term one and we’ve been desperate to get him back fit, and we’re just hopeful that Charlie’s going to be okay. It’s really good news.

“Both lads are in the early stages (of their comeback) but it will give me a nice problem when they’re 100 per cent fit and ready to play. I’d much rather that than the other way around.

“We do have competition all over the pitch and that’s what we’ve been wanting all season.

“The team has picked itself at times and that’s never ideal, but now I have a decision to make, which is great.”

Asked if he would have any hesitation in throwing Austin and Paterson, who was the subject of a summer bid by Portsmouth, straight into the squad tomorrow, Howe said: “We’ll have a look at it. They played Tuesday and Wednesday was a recovery day for them, so we’ll have a look at how they feel.

“I wouldn’t want to push them into playing when they don’t feel ready.

“It will be determined at this stage by the players themselves.”

He added: “They were fine on Wednesday. No problems.

“Pato’s been feeling good now for a long period of time and there’s no reaction at all.

“With Charlie I think it’s the mental barrier and that’s what pleased me watching him play on Tuesday – he was his normal self, so fingers crossed on that one.

“When the game’s going it’s very difficult to think of anything other than the ball and playing how you do.

“He’s going to have to take a few challenges and playing as he does he’s very aggressive, so he needs to feel confident in himself and he looks like he is.”