Miles could mean smiles for Burnley (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Miles could mean smiles for Burnley

1:00pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Suzanne Geldard, Burnley FC reporter

THE Clarets are clocking up the miles – more than 2,500 of them – in the next two months.

But they won’t mind as long as they continue to clock up the points.

With 11 wins, two draws and only two defeats, tomorrow’s opponents Southampton boast the second best home record in the Championship.

But that doesn’t faze Eddie Howe’s top travellers.

In fact, Burnley are relishing the chance of yet another away day scalp.

“It’s another really tough away game,” said Howe, who has revolutionised the Clarets on the road.

“But we’ve had a good run of a away results with a lot of them at tough grounds, so we’ve got nothing to fear at Southampton,”

Middlesbrough and leaders West Ham are already among their victims.

The next step is to add Saints to that list, extend their run of away wins to nine, and further close the gap between them and the top teams in an ever more congested chasing pack.

Howe is certainly encouraged by the ground they have made up since November, when the threat of dropping into the bottom three kick-started their season.

At that point, although only six points separated them from sixth place, then leaders Southampton held an 18-point advantage.

Improvement for Burnley, combined with slip-ups for Saints, have reduced that deficit to eight, while they are now three points outside of the play-off places.

But with only seven points the difference between fourth placed Blackpool and 12th placed Derby, Howe knows they are not alone in having eyes on the the top six.

“They (the top teams) have had a little bit of a wobble. Throughout a season you’re going to have a spell when you do.

“But I think the top teams have sort of come back to the rest of the group and there is a pack of top teams that have really congested. Any one of those teams can go on a run now,” said the Clarets boss.

“There are a load of clubs in between us and everyone will be thinking the same thing.

“We’re certainly in that pack. You look back a couple of months and the gap between us and Southampton, and us and West Ham, and us and Middlesbrough was huge.

“We’ve really worked to close that gap, and if we were able to go to Southampton and get a win that gap closes again.

“They’ve strengthened in the transfer window and they’ve brought in some top players.”

With journeys to Reading, Watford, Cardiff, Ipswich and Portsmouth to come before the end of March, Howe added: “These are big games for us.”

But he is encouraged to see his young side growing in confidence thanks to the points they have taken from venues such as Upton Park and the Riverside.

“It’s fantastic for the confidence and belief in the camp that we can compete with the best in the league,” he said.

“Their players will be well up for it, their new signings will probably give them a lift.

“We’ve got to make sure we start well, that’s crucial, and we’ve done that of late. We’ve given ourselves a platform to get into the game.

“Time wise there’s not a long way to go in the season, less than three months. It does finish a little bit earlier this season so we’ve got a lot of games to cram in and we’re going to need all the squad. Hopefully it’s going to be an exciting finish.”