BURNLEY ended the first half of the season as one forerunners in the play-off pack, but Wade Elliott insists they won’t risk taking their strong position for granted.

The Clarets have benefited from a 14-game unbeaten home run, as well as some impressive away wins, in their pursuit of a top six place.

But Elliott believes their poor start to this campaign is also contributing to them retaining their focus as they push for the play-offs.

Owen Coyle’s men were rocked by heavy opening defeats at Sheffield Wednesday and at home to Ipswich Town on the back of a promising pre-season.

But Elliott revealed the determined attitude they adopted when they were in the bottom three will serve them equally well at the opposite end of the table.

“Even when we struggled at the start of the season, we never thought we were the worst team, and now things are going well nobody is getting carried away,”said Elliott.

“It’s such a tight league that anyone can propel themselves into contention.

“I don’t think we are a group of lads who are going to say where we will be. We’ll just keep ticking along and see where that takes us.”

Two-time player of the season Elliott has continued to influence some of Burnley’s best performances in league and cup.

And although he was disappointed to miss his first games in a season and a half, when a groin strain forced him to sit out Championship matches with Barnsley and Derby before returning as a late substitute in the Carling Cup quarter-final win over Arsenal, he admits it could prove to be a blessing in disguise.

“It was a bit of a blow to miss a game after so long. I played in every game last season and obviously would have liked to have done the same again,” he said.

“It might work out well though. In the long term, a break might not be the worst thing in the world, and hopefully I am over it now and within a couple of weeks I’ll reap the benefits of having a little break.

“I had a little watching brief and I was fortunate enough to be fit again and get a little taste of the Arsenal game.

“Chelsea was brilliant, but it’s the first time in a while we’ve had a full house at home and it would have been nice to play a full game.”

Looking ahead to their two-legged semi-final with Tottenham Hotspur, Elliott added: “Whoever we got in the semi-finals it was going to be two massive games.

“I just think it was inevitable we were always going to get another London club.

“It’s a big competition for Spurs as holders, and I just think the games will take care of themselves when they come around.”

And the 30-year-old is pleased the competition hasn't become a distraction to their league campaign.

“The encouraging thing from our point of view is that after midweek cup games, we have done okay the weekend after,” he said.

“That's important because if you put all your eggs in one basket in the cup and let the league go, you can end up missing out.

“Even if we were to win the cup, it ends in March, and we want to be playing big games right up until the end of the season.”