BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill has stressed his first target for the season is to avoid relegation.

Despite their blistering start to the campaign, Cotterill admitted he will breathe a huge sigh of relief when the Clarets have clocked up enough points to ensure their survival in the Coca-Cola Championship for another season.

And only once that has been achieved will he begin to afford himself any thoughts of Premiership football.

He said: "I think it's everybody's target to get to 50 points first.

"Every manager will tell you that, and it is an old clich, but 50 points ensures you will stay in the league you're in.

"But the quicker you get those 50 points might have another bearing on what league you might be in.

"Every year we start off with that target, and this year is no different.

"The start gives us something to build on, and I suppose something to fall back on as well.

"I think, if you look at our start last year, and where we ended up at Christmas, then the league now is in it's early stages."

After finishing last season in 17th spot with 54 points, Burnley were tipped by many pundits to struggle this season and were favourites for the drop by some so-called football "experts".

But they have rammed those negative predictions down the throats of all concerned and are on course for their best finish since the 2001/02 season, when they suffered the heartache of missing out on the play-offs to Norwich by a single goal.

Cotterill's side could go top of the league on Saturday if they beat Dave Jones' Cardiff City and other results go their way.

And he admitted he was naturally happy to battle it out with the big boys at the business end of the table, rather than scrapping about in the relegation zone.

He added: "The good part about it at the moment is we're not looking over our shoulders at perhaps what's going on down at the bottom of the table.

"We're probably focusing more how Cardiff are getting on, or how Preston and Birmingham are doing.

"We've perhaps enjoyed that pressure.

"We've kept setting the players challenges, and they keep meeting them head on."