Five things we learned from the weekend football: Good times ahead for Burnley

1 It's onwards and upwards for Burnley

As we head towards March, we are approaching the stage of the season when we can start counting teams out of the Premier League relegation battle.

Burnley are in the top ten after claiming ten points from their last four matches, a run that has seen them beat Leicester and Manchester United and draw at home to Arsenal before Saturday's win at Southampton, who looked as if they were making strides themselves.

Manchester City's pending ban from European competition has had a knock-on effect on the race for Europa League places and while a return to the competition may prove beyond the Turf Moor outfit, they can continue to make strides this season.

Wins from their next two games against Bournemouth and Newcastle would take them to 40 points and surely secure top-flight football for another season.

Burnley's two-striker approach shows there is more than one way to skin a cat and manager Sean Dyche should be applauded for the campaign they have enjoyed. Don't expect them to be desperately scrapping for points in April and early May.

2 Blackburn Rovers are Sky Bet Championship playoff dark horses

Bottom club Barnsley's 3-0 win at third-placed Fulham on Saturday demonstrated for the millionth time what an unpredictable league the Sky Bet Championship is, but one team who are steadily making progress in their quest for a top-six spot are Tony Mowbray's Blackburn.

Rovers were excellent in trying conditions in a 2-0 win at Charlton on Saturday, taking advantage of having the wind at their backs for the first half to score goals and then constructing some neat football to create chances playing back into the gale after the break.

A 1-0 home loss to Fulham has been the only defeat the Ewood Park outfit have suffered in their last seven matches.

They are three points outside the top six and, while their credentials are sure to be tested when they visit Brentford on Saturday, that is just one of five games they have left against teams in the top ten so Rovers look equipped to push for the playoffs.

3 Middlesbrough face a massive month

The battle at the bottom of the second tier looks just as tense as weekend wins for Barnsley and Luton means they are no longer tailed off.

The Hatters won 1-0 at the Riverside and Middlesbrough, who are six points above the drop zone, are in serious danger of falling back into trouble.

Jonathan Woodgate's side won four successive games over the Christmas period but that has proved to be a false dawn. They are without a win since New Year's Day and their next four matches could be key for a team who are the second-lowest goalscorers in the Championship.

Visits to relegation rivals Barnsley and Charlton are punctuated by tough home games against Leeds and Nottingham Forest and if the winless run continues, Boro could soon be looking for a new manager.

4 Flying Fleetwood have the spirit to get promoted

Many scoffed when Joey Barton was given the chance to manage Fleetwood in the summer of 2018 but he has done a great job and his team are right in the promotion mix in Sky Bet League One.

The Cod Army have posted four successive wins and have a massive opportunity to make further strides in the next fortnight with matches against Portsmouth and Sunderland.

Although they are eighth, they are just six points behind leaders Rotherham in a fascinating promotion race and their underdog spirit is exactly what Barton will want to encourage as they head towards the end of the season. They plainly thrive on it.

5 Time looks up for Stevenage

Just three wins all season mean that Stevenage's ten-year stay in the Football League looks likely to come to an end this term.

A 1-0 home loss to Salford on Saturday extended their pointless run to six matches and they are in the terrible position of banking on financial problems at Macclesfield as their best chance of staying in Sky Bet League Two.

Stevenage have scored just two goals in their last nine home matches, none of which they have won, and they look destined to be playing in the National League next season.

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