AN end to Burnley’s winless run in the Premier League is just around the corner if they can match their performance against Manchester United, according to Nick Pope.

The Clarets were impressive in defeat against the Red Devils, undone by a moment of quality on the break from United as Anthony Martial crashed a winner in off the underside of the bar.

Burnley had the better of the game before and after that strike but they couldn’t make their territory count. But Pope believes there are positive signs and insists an end to that seven-game winless run in the league is just around the corner if they continue to play like that.

“I think that’s a big thing. It can’t be underestimated, playing well,” Pope said of the performances that have come in defeat.

“If we stay in this vein of form then the points will come.”

Asked if he felt the next win was close based on that performance, Pope added: “Yeah, definitely. That’s what we’re doing, working hard every day in training to make it happen at a weekend.

“We’ll continue that and with these performances results will come.”

Burnley have taken just one point from two league games with United in the space of four weeks, although it could have been so much more.

They led 2-0 at Old Trafford on Boxing Day and still had a goal advantage going into injury-time, while they enjoyed plenty of the play on Saturday as well before United score with their first shot on target early in the second half.

“We are restricting them, we have done with a lot of teams,” Pope said.

“I think we have grown a lot throughout the season, even though we’ve not picked up as many points last few games, I still think every performance we’re growing more.

“It is frustrating, to lose any game when it’s the first shot. We were well in the game at that point, it didn’t feel like they were battering us or on top of us, it was a bit out of nothing really. It’s disappointing but so is every loss.

“It’s one bit of space and they take advantage of that. It’s what the top teams do more than the other teams in the league, that’s what’s happened.

“After the goal I thought we reacted well and have gone forward a lot and had a lot of the ball but couldn’t quite break them down.”

The tight margins haven’t gone Burnley’s way recently, with the Clarets tending to come out on top in these tight games earlier in the season.

Burnley’s chances of coming back for a deficit aren’t helped by a goalscoring record of just 19 goals in 24 games, but Pope said conceding first doesn’t mean it’s game over.

“When you look back at the season some fall your way and some don’t. That happened on Saturday where it didn’t quite fall for us,” he said.

“It’s obviously difficult in this league when you play top teams, or any team, you go 1-0 down in the Premier League it is difficult.

“A lot of teams find that. It is difficult and makes it harder for ourselves but it doesn’t mean the game’s over by a long stretch.”