It had been earmarked as a game where we might pick up three points.

And with only Manchester United and Arsenal with better home form than Burnley, and Fulham winless at Turf Moor since the era of George VI, the omens were good.

In the end it was a frustrating afternoon which stretched the Clarets winless run to five – or if you really want to scare yourself, it also meant that Burnley have emerged victorious just once in their last eight scraps.

Until Fulham scored, the Clarets – with the exception of the excellent Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears – never truly got going. The catalyst was the introduction of David Nugent for Robbie Blake, who had cut a peripheral figure during his time on the pitch.

It wasn’t that Nugent himself turned the game, more that his presence meant Burnley morphed into a 4-4-2 with Wade Elliott moving from central midfield to the right wing.

And that proved the key. One can understand the theory behind Owen Coyle deploying Elliott centrally.

The theory is that with his willingness to run at the opposition he can take players out of the game and open things up.

In practice though, it doesn’t always come off. Saturday was one such instance.

Elliott, and the team as a whole, played much better when he was switched to a wide berth. And while it’s always easy to be wise after the event, one was left to wonder about what might have been had Elliott been getting chalk on his heels from the off.

Still, on the plus side, Fulham were no pushovers and the Clarets showed characteristic pluck and character to retrieve the situation and bank another precious point.

It’s also a plus that Burnley face what are, on paper at least, two of the Premier League’s less daunting opponents in Wolves and Bolton.

Although with the former mugging Spurs at White Hart Lane and the latter putting three past Manchester City, any spoils will be hard won.

Between now and then of course, lie the rather more formidable Arsenal. They may be without the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Robin van Persie, but any side including the likes of Andrey Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri can hardly be said to be short of options.

On the one hand, it’s a potentially terrifying prospect.

On the other, we’re playing Arsenal, in the league, under the floodlights at a sold-out Turf Moor.

It’s nights like tomorrow we were striving for all last season. Let’s enjoy it.