FOR half the season Burnley played like champs as the hope was of promotion to the Premier League and not just play-offs.

Sadly from Christmas Day onwards they played like chumps, winning only six of 21 matches as they were swallowed up by the chasing pack.

Talk about a season of two halves!

The tables before and after Christmas make very uncomfortable reading with only the relief of the final two home wins of the season lifting the Clarets above relegation form.

The Burnley boss is fond of saying the table does not lie and the two tables for before and after Christmas tell a very clear tale.

Stan Ternent knows it all went wrong in 2002, the players know it and the fans know it.

But what no one can actually put their finger on is why!

Why did the goals dry up? Why did the walls of fortress Turf Moor crumble? Why did the belief that had taken them clear at the top by Christmas day evaporate so rapidly?

In the immediate aftermath of Sunday's disappointment Ternent talked about "injuries, suspensions and other bits and pieces" contributing to his side's decline.

But in many ways it is possible that two games that were not even played contributed as much as anything else to the complete reversal of fortune.

On Boxing Day thousands of Clarets crossed the Pennines full of seasonal joy as they looked forward to taking on Rotherham United at Millmoor.

They were four points clear of Wolves and 11 clear of Millwall and Birmingham City who at that time occupied sixth and seventh places.

But the frozen pitch meant that the game was called off just over an hour before kick-off and the momentum that had seen seven straight wins followed by a draw with Millwall started to slow.

Next up was the match at Maine Road, an incredible first half that saw Burnley play well, Glen Little miss a penalty and somehow trail 4-0 at the break.

But even back then it looked a good bet that City would be champions so there was no need to push a panic button and the Clarets were guaranteed to be top on New Year's Day.

That should have brought Bradford City across the Pennines but for the second time in three games the weather intervened, the pitch was frozen and the Clarets were left twiddling their thumbs as their rivals closed the gap.

The next game saw the visit of Canvey Island in the FA Cup third round which saw a fairly straightforward win but also influential winger Glen Little pull up injured with a hamstring problem.

That was the first of a number of injury problems to hit Ternent's team.

Steve Davis was in the middle of missing four months of action, Little suffered another problem after a clash with Norwich defender Darren Kenton, Ian Cox missed the closing weeks of the season and Paul Weller battled on despite a knee problem.

Nik Michopoulos's absence after getting injured at Cheltenham was off-set by the return of Marlon Beresford on loan but his sudden recall by Middlesbrough did little to help their cause.

Then there was Robbie Blake.

His £1million capture from Bradford was planned to add craft and guile to the attack but having signed while suffering from a stomach strain he never reached full fitness and has still only made one start for his new club.

Games came, points were dropped, chances missed but somehow, as other teams took points off each other, the Clarets stayed in the top six where they had been virtually all season.

That was the way it stayed after the 45th and penultimate game, Lee Briscoe's late goal at Grimsby ensuring they headed Norwich on goals scored.

Right up until 15 minutes from time on Sunday they had the advantage as both sides led their home games 1-0 but when Malky Mackay scored for the Canaries Burnley's fate was sealed.

Having given themselves a brilliant start there is no doubt that they squandered a wonderful opportunity to make the play-offs but that is now history.

What matters is reacting to the disappointment in the right way!