THE past few weeks are proof, if ever it was needed, how much luck plays a part in your fate.

We had been struggling and, after losing to Sheffield United and Derby, a quick glance at the upcoming games showed how much trouble we could have been in without a few morale-boosting wins.

But suddenly, in the last three games, every little thing that had been going against us started to go our way and finally we look like we've turned the corner.

Last Saturday's game against Sheffield United was so similar to the one against Crystal Palace on the opening day of the season, only this time it was the visiting keeper and not Brian Jensen who made a few little mistakes to force the outcome.

The breaks we got are long overdue, especially when you reflect on how lucky we were not to concede in the first half against Reading recently.

That 'rub of the green' had been talked about for so long, we were beginning to think we'd all run over a litter of black cats.

Now everyone has an extra spring in their step in training and the whole mood of the camp has been lifted.

It was never that low to be honest, but we just felt a little sorry for ourselves after seeing almost every little mistake we made being punished.

Of course, you need to build on your luck and that's what we aim to do against Coventry this weekend.

Naturally, the home fans will be expecting us to roll them over, but I don't think we are the type of team that is going to be winning four or five nil.

The way we play means it's always going to be tight every week and that little break here and there makes all the difference.

Elsewhere, you know Christmas is on you when the FA Cup third round draw is made. And once again it didn't fail to disappoint every Burnley fan and player.

You are always looking and hoping you will pull out a plum, so you can imagine the reaction when your name comes out alongside either Mansfield or Wycombe...away!

On a scale of one to ten, with Manchester United being ten, that rates about 0.25!

The FA Cup really hasn't been too kind to us in recent years and, even when we reached the quarter-finals last year, we didn't have too many games along the way to get the pulse racing.

Even when we drew a Premiership side, it was Fulham!

But it does give us a chance to get further in the competition and that's all you can ask I suppose at the end of the day.

The excitement grew last season every time we got through another round and, certainly looking at the rest of the draw, there are quite a few all-Premiership and all-First Division ties.

That means it could open up again as we get down the line, so you never know.