STRIKER Sam Vokes has urged Burnley not to get distracted by the hype surrounding Saturday’s top of the table clash, and risk letting their guard down.

The Clarets go head-to-head with second placed Queens Park Rangers, with the return of last season’s top scorer Charlie Austin an additional caveat of the clash between the Championship’s early pace setters.

But Vokes has warned the Clarets not to let their focus shift from the task of protecting their unbeaten home record and seven-game winning streak to stay one step ahead of their nearest challengers.

Indeed, a home win would open up a five-point lead over QPR.

“It’s going to be a big game. There’s always going to be hype about it,” said the Wales international.

“It’s a good one for the fans, one of the ones that everyone’s been looking for.

“But in here a lot of the lads are just looking at it as another game.

“It’s obviously going to be another tough one but we’ve got a good run going at the moment and we just want to keep that going.

“From our point of view we’ve got a good run going. If we just concentrate on doing what we have been doing and keep that confidence going into the next game.”

A run of games and goals has done wonders for Vokes’ own confidence levels this season.

The former Wolves and Bournemouth striker was kept out of the side through Austin’s free-scoring form last season.

His summer switch to QPR - just two days before the start of the 2013/14 campaign - provided the opportunity of more regular first team football.

And Vokes has grabbed it with both hands, not just backing-up 11-goal top scorer Danny Ings but bettering him in the league rankings, with all of his eight goals scored in Championship games.

Saturday’s game at Ipswich proved a difficult one for both strikers, with neither getting on the scoresheet for only the third time in 15 league and cup outings this season.

Mick McCarthy’s men were switched on to Burnley’s attacking assets, but Vokes said: “It’s not just myself and Ingsy. As a whole team the better we do the more respect other teams are going to have for us and are going to play that way against us.

“It’s up to us to counter that and try to work out how to beat them.

“It was a tough game.

“Ipswich and places like that are always going to be tough places to go - strong teams - it was more of a battle for 90 minutes really. We managed to get through that and got the goal that counted in the end.”

After turning 24 on Monday, Vokes hopes there is even more cause for celebration this weekend.

“It would be good to outscore Charlie,” he smiled.

“Me and Ingsy have started off well together and we hope to keep that going.”