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I'm sure new manager Owen Coyle must have looked at his early fixtures in charge, particularly those away from home that sent us to three of the promotion favourites immediately. And yet he's seen his new charges come away with a maximum nine points and again at Molineux no fair observer could deny us the right to the win.
Wolves fans were telling us outside the ground that we'd beat them. They don't rate their side this season and there's no doubt given a chance they would willingly get their money back on the likes of Freddy Eastwood and Andy Keogh and possibly Stephen Ward as well. Consistently we were told these players are not good enough for Wolves.
Still, it is Molineux, and despite the fact that I've already seen Burnley win here three times previously it is thought to be a poor ground for us so there is always little optimism ahead of kick off. Those fears were quickly wiped out in a first half when we were simply too good for the home side.
Early in the game the home fans sat (or should I say stood) to our right in the Jack Harris Stand burst into loud spontaneous applause. I couldn't grasp what on earth they were applauding but they were also by now on their feet in the Billy Wright Stand. What could it be? It turned out to be the Burnley substitutes warming up and the home fans welcome for Ade Akinbiyi who had been a massive favourite at Molineux.
Onto the game and It took us a while to get into our stride but when we did Wolves were thankful to highly rated goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. After a superb cross from Wade Elliott was only half cleared, Alan Mahon hit a shot from 25-yards against the foot of the post. It hit Hennessey on the way out but dropped kindly for Andy Gray. He should really have scored but Hennessey recovered very quickly to get the ball away. 'Henn-er-see Henn-er-see' cried the Wolves fans.
In our next attack we won a free kick on the edge of the box to the left after a clear push from Kevin Foley on Robbie Blake. Recalling the previous week at Charlton we watched for the movement of Gray and Chris McCann in the box but this time Robbie hit a shot to the far post that squirmed in through Hennessey's hands and over the line. 1-0 to the Clarets. 'Henn-er-see Henn-er-see' cried the Burnley fans.
We just about deserved the lead, but sadly it didn't last long. Within just a few minutes Wolves were level. A move down the left saw a ball come into our box that was pushed back out by Clarke Carlisle. The second time Wolves got it right across the box for the unmarked Darren Gibson on the right hand side to drill it home via the post with Gabor Kiraly not having a chance.
We really needed to keep that lead longer than we did but never fear, the rest of the half belonged to the Clarets. It might not have taken Wolves long to equalise, but it didn't take us much longer to go back in front, and what a good goal.
Alan Mahon took a quick free kick in the centre of the pitch out to Wade on the right hand side. He looked to go outside but confronted by two defenders he turned inside them and sent in a brilliant left footed cross to the far post. It needed someone to get on the end of it and Kyle Lafferty didn't let us down. Unnoticed by the Wolves defence he came storming in from outside the box just at the right time. His superb run made it simple and he finished with glee.
Wolves were stunned, and by now were being outplayed. It was all Burnley and just before half time we reached dreamland with a third. Again Hennessey was brilliant in denying Gray. From a through ball from Mahon it looked as though Andy would make it three but the keeper got a hand to it and tipped it onto the bar and over for a corner.
We took it short on the left wing, and then it was just pure Robbie as he turned the defender this way and that way before delivering an inch perfect left footed cross to the far post. There was Clarke Carlisle with a free header, but he didn't get it quite right and it was missing target. That was until defender Darren Ward got his hand in the way and knocked it in for us.
It was the last action of the first half. Wolves went off to boos; Burnley left the field to rapturous applause from the small band of Clarets in the corner.
Three goals at Molineux. I was asked countless times during half time when we last managed that. I'd no idea, but I do now, it was April 1959 when Ray Pointer and two from Albert Cheesebrough earned us a 3-3 draw. I'm pleased I didn't know immediately, we'd led in that game 3-1 and I'd have been worried then that Wolves might peg us back again. Having said that, there are usually five goals when we are on live television so that meant surely there was only one more to come.
We started the second half well and came close with a free kick from the edge of the box, but then we gave Wolves a lifeline back into the game with a needlessly conceded penalty. I'm sure Burnley fans watching it on television would have been initially mystified at referee Tanner's decision to point to the spot, but from our vantage point behind the goal you could see Gray's shirt pull on Olofinjana right in front of us.
Why on earth he did it only he will know, but he did, Tanner correctly pointed to the spot and Wolves did something they are not very good at, they converted the penalty. Now it was game on and they did put us under a bit of pressure.
They didn't create any clear cut chances, but we did have some defending to do, and eventually we replaced Mahon with former Wolves player Joey Gudjonsson. It was just what we needed and Joey made a vital contribution as we turned the game around again. Suddenly Wolves weren't troubling us at all and you began to think we might just have this one in the bag.
Both our strikers went off, and then we won a free kick within shooting distance. Joey took over and hit another rocket that was very well saved by Hennessey, who despite his mistake was probably their best player. One of these Gudjonsson shots is going to go in some time soon, believe me.
We got to ninety minutes without problem and then the board said four extra minutes. They pushed forward, had a couple of speculative efforts, but we weren't going to let this one go. The away fans were getting ready to celebrate a sixth away win of the season, we just waited for that final whistle, and I'm convinced our cheers were louder than the boos from the home fans.
The players came all the way over, Owen Coyle joined them and the celebrations went on for some time. Another massive away win, but in some ways the easiest of the recent three given that Watford and Charlton were probably tougher opponents than Wolves. But a massive win nonetheless.
The man of the match really was the team itself, this was another masterful performance from us, but there were outstanding individual performances all across the pitch. I've struggled to find my man of the match again, and again for the right reasons, but eventually narrowed it down to four players.
Mahon was outstanding in the midfield, particularly in the first half, so much came from him and long may this sort of form last. Wade was again a real handful, and Wolves never really got to grips with him, and then there was David Unsworth. The two central defenders were once more outstanding, but Unsworth was immense during the period when we did face some pressure.
Mahon - Elliott - Unsworth, it really could have been any one of them, but then there was Robbie Blake. Once more like a magician at times he lights the game up, he can be worth the admission money himself. He in the end is my choice.
But as I said, the team was really the man of the match. This was another outstanding performance of expansive attacking football. It's taken us to seventh in the league table and only two points behind where we were at this stage last season. Now as long as we don't go eighteen without a win, who knows where this could take us.
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to see Burnley win away
The teams were:
Wolves: Wayne Hennessey, Kevin Foley, Darren Ward, Neill Collins, Michael Gray, Darren Gibson (Freddy Eastwood 60), Karl Henry, Seyi Olofinjana, Stephen Ward (Matthew Jarvis 71), Jay Bothroyd (Andy Keogh 72), Stephen Elliott. Subs not used: Carl Ikeme, Rob Edwards.
Burnley: Gabor Kiraly, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon (Joey Gudjonsson 68), Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake (James O'Connor 82), Andy Gray (Ade Akinbiyi 88). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Steve Jones.
Referee: Steve Tanner (Somerset).
Attendance: 20,763.
