EDDIE Howe thinks 71 points could be enough to secure a play-off spot this season, but insists a top six finish remains a long shot for Burnley.

To reach that target the Clarets would need to win all of their four remaining games, adding to their last two over Brighton and Doncaster.

Burnley have not put more than three league wins together since Howe took charge in January 2011, and have secured six straight league wins only twice in the last two decades.

But the omens could be in the club’s favour, as on both occasions the year ended in a two.

In the 1991/92 season the Clarets won seven in a row on their way to claiming the old Fourth Division title.

In the 2001/02 campaign a six-game winning run included tomorrow’s opponents Coventry City. Burnley missed out on a place in the play-offs by just one goal in the end.

But Howe insists they will maintain their fight to the finish this time around, even if it means they just miss out again.

For the Burnley boss believes momentum will be vital for their future progress.

“It is a long shot,” he said of their play-off hopes. “It is going to be incredibly difficult for us but it doesn’t mean we won’t try and win every game. We can only do our bit.

“There’s always a great deal to play for in our eyes.

“Every game’s a big game.

“We need to get our home form right for next year so the next two games at home are very important to us.

“Coventry are fighting for their lives, the same as Bristol City, so they will be two tough games.

“I’ve watched Coventry play quite a bit this year and they’ve got a unique system, they don’t change the way they play and they’ve turned it round a little bit towards the end of the season and got some good results. They beat Hull recently on their travels. It’s a cliché but there are no easy games in the division. We know that we’re going to have to be right.

“But the way that we’ve played at home lately, the West Ham and Brighton games in particular, we were pleased with those two performances.

“Hopefully we can match those two.”

And Howe is hoping to replicate the fighting spirit that his injury-hit squad has shown in back-to-back Easter wins over play-off chasing Brighton and rock bottom Doncaster, which brought sixth spot back into view.

“To be fair to the lads they’ve shown great resolve and personal pride that they’ve wanted to win,” said the Burnley boss.

“The Brighton game especially was really pleasing, in terms of their attitude and commitment and being down to the bare bones. The lads in the team gave everything that day and then backed it up with a really good win against Doncaster, because that was always going to be a difficult game for us. We responded really well to conceding.

“There have been many positive aspects in the last few weeks. We want to keep that positivity and try to get everyone feeling good about the team and the club as we move to a new season.”

Howe, who is set to again name winger Ross Wallace at left back in the absence of Ben Mee, Daniel Lafferty and Brian Easton, added: “I think the lads have really responded to the challenge in front of them. We went through a really bad run and it’s cost us.

“Now we’ve had some good results we can only affect what’s in front of us, and hopefully we can end the season on a high.”