Conventional football wisdom has it that when it comes to the play-offs, there’s always one team that emerges from the chasing pack to book their place in the end-of-term lottery.

So why can’t it be the Clarets?

Burnley have spent the majority of this campaign not so much flirting with the top six, as casting an admiring gaze in its direction without ever really suggesting they might make their move.

But following Saturday’s victory at Deepdale there are cautious grounds for optimism that Eddie Howe’s charges may be timing their run just right.

The primary reason to believe, is that Burnley are now fully the masters of their own destiny.

With both Leicester and Leeds dropping points, Howe’s men find themselves four points from sixth but, crucially, with a brace of games in hand over their rivals.

Naturally, such optimism should be tempered with the caveat that games in hand are by no means a guarantee of points in the bag.

Yet what they do represent is a golden opportunity.

It’s also worth pointing out that Burnley are a team with momentum.

It’s reasonable to claim that most sides with a new manager at the helm experience at least a temporary upward shift in fortunes.

Not only has a hitherto leaky defence looked more solid but the early signs are that the away form is also picking up.

Maximum returns on the road has long been Burnley’s Achilles heel.

Yet with victories at Portsmouth, Watford and now Preston, as well as a hard-earned point at Cardiff, the Clarets are beginning to look the real deal away from Turf Moor.

Central to this success has been Chris Eagles.

Like most flair players, Eagles can be inspirational and frustrating in equal measure.

Yet he more than anyone is likely to be the man who makes the difference between making or missing out on the top six.