THE season ticket book grows ever thinner. The finger nails are chewed ever shorter. And the nerves? Well, they have been shredded that much in recent weeks it's a wonder they are still there.

Yup, it's that time of year again. And while the management and the players have the luxury of being able to influence what happens, the supporters are less fortunate.

For us, every spare moment is spent trying to read some significance into, well, just about anything.

Norwich's goal difference takes on almost as much importance as breathing, the run-ins and form guides of all the play off contenders are scrutinised and committed to memory and 1,001 "what if" scenarios are played out in the fret-ridden mind. I fear for our sanity should we make the play offs.

Not that Saturday's relief inducing victory over a sleepwalking Gillingham side offered too many heart stopping moments.

As has been the case so often in recent weeks, the Clarets only turned up for 45 minutes.

Fortunately, Gillingham did not show up for the full 90.

But when Burnley did get in gear, they impressed. There were several key performances on the day. Steve Davis's mere presence on the pitch gave the whole team a boost.

Glen Little showed promising signs of a return to his exhilarating early season form.

And then there is David Johnson. The 25-year-old former Manchester United trainee is clearly a cut above. The partnership he has struck up with Ian Moore is bearing fruit.

For the first time I can remember, the Clarets have two front runners blessed with explosive pace.

Ian Moore may not be scoring, but he is playing a vital role by pulling defenders away with his runs, leaving gaps which can be exploited by DJ.

His goal on Saturday reeked of class. It was as much about his power and balance as his pace, as he held off a lumbering centre half twice his size before his clinical finish.

The fans love him. Ternent loves him. And "magic" Johnson himself has hinted that he might like to become a full time Claret.

As always, money may be the stumbling block. But provided both he and the board are realistic about his wages, every effort should be made to sign him on.

After all, players of his quality do not come along that often.

Meanwhile, the tension is turned up a notch on Saturday with a tough fixture at relegation threatened Grimsby. Time to break out the valium, me thinks.