FROM the moment Sam Vokes’ participation came to a shuddering halt with a jarred knee, so did any realistic chance of Burnley going top of the table against a powerful, well organised Leicester side.

Within five minutes Sean Dyche had to tear up his game plan and operate with just one out and out attacker up front in Ashley Barnes.

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It meant that Sam joined our other two top 10 Championship players of the year, Danny Ings and Kieran Trippier, on the sidelines.

Credit where it is due, the remaining Clarets battled fiercely in an attempt to preserve their unbeaten home record, restricting the Foxes to just two shots on target from which they scored twice.

We still have a nine point cushion but that cushion can still get deflated, so we must hope the Clarets at least hold their own until the sidelined cavalry return for a final charge.

Nevertheless, Burnley had had an excellent month and it is time for cool heads as we go into the final four weeks of the season starting with a trip to Watford this weekend.

The Hornets showed they haven’t thrown the towel in just yet in their quest for a play-off place with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

I always prefer to visit the nearby historical town of St Albans before the game for two reasons.

One: As the headquarters for the Campaign of Real Ale there are naturally a great choice of pubs serving a quality beer within a picturesque setting.

Two: Even more importantly it gets you away from the Watford fans suffering with ‘what might have been’ syndrome stemming from our manager Sean Dyche who was of course the Hornets boss before they got rid and he arrived at the Turf to spearhead our promotion push.