FORWARD-thinking Owen Coyle has backed his front men to fire Burnley into the Championship play-offs.

Although missed chances have cost the Clarets vital points in recent games against Birmingham and Coventry, the Clarets boss believes there is enough firepower within his troops to sustain their promotion push.

Had Burnley been able to make the most of numerous openings in at least one of those games, they would have already reclaimed a top-six spot instead of finding themselves edged out on goal difference to both Sheffield United and Cardiff as they go into tomorrow’s game at Norwich.

But with six players on six goals or more – including 17-goal top scorer Martin Paterson – manager Coyle believes they will soon be rewarded for the number of goal attempts they are fashioning.

“There are goals in this team because we are very offensive and attack-minded, and that’s what we have to keep doing between now and the end of the season,” said the Scot.

“We know we’ve got very good forwards at our disposal – I think that goes without saying.

“Having said that I think they’ll know that themselves that maybe in the last few weeks we should have taken more chances than we have.

“But what we do know is that they’re getting into those positions for those chances, through good play. If they’re not on the end of chances, they’re the ones that are setting them up.

“We can mix and match because they’re all different types of players.

“Steven Thompson’s obviously an out-and-out centre forward – in terms of an old-fashioned type that leads the line - and young Jay (Rodriguez) I think is learning from him in training as well because he’s adding other things to his armoury.

“Robbie Blake we know can see a pass and score a goal; and Martin Paterson, with the goals he’s scored, he probably knows himself he could have had a few more on top of that as well.

“Chris Eagles came on the other night and Wade Elliott on the right has been fantastic.

“We have so much variety; we’re not one-dimensional, and that is a big, big thing in this league because I think, if you were to be thwarted in one area of the park you know you’ve got something else on the other side or through the middle, and that certainly helps us.

“The forward play, in essence, has been great but we’re just looking for that killer touch and taking a bigger percentage of our chances.

“I think there are a number of things (that have prevented that). The goalkeepers have been outstanding that we’ve played against, and we have to pay enormous credit to them but, equally, I think because the lads have set their own standards, when the chances come by you would expect them to score.

“Chris McCann’s popped up in midfield with a couple of good chances, so we’re all getting in there on the act because we’re dominating games and creating those opportu-nities.

“We have to keep controlling games, keep making chances and we know that more often than not the lads will hit the back of the net.”

And Coyle said his players should also be credited for their dogged determination, after Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Coventry was the eighth time Burnley have come from behind to get a result from a league game this season.

“The way we work and the way we are, we have a never-say-die attitude about us and a real determination to try to achieve results,” the Clarets boss continued.

“It’s not always possible but anybody that looked at our set-up would know they’re at us for the full duration of the game because we keep going.

“Ideally I’d love to get in front in games and push on from there, but the amount of times we’ve gone behind for one reason or another, they keep driving on and showing that belief and trust.

“We’ve shown we can go toe-to-toe with the very best and I’ve tried to impart that belief and confidence in them and I think the penny’s dropped.”