REMEMBER, remember, the fifth of November? For that remains the last time Burnley won a league match away on the road.

High flying Luton Town didn't know what hit them that day as the 10-man Clarets dug deep into their reserves after Ade Akinbiyi's hat-trick set up an away-day to savour.

In the ensuing 11 games, Steve Cotterill must have come up with every permutation to provide the boost of another victory away from Turf Moor.

And on the evidence of this performance, the wait could soon be over.

At times, especially in the second half, it was men against boys as Wednesday struggled to cope with Burnley's fluid movement, confident passing and, in particular, Alan Mahon's precise crossing.

Three times from his expert deliveries, the Clarets spurned golden opportunities to head what would surely have been a decisive goal.

Because for all of Wednesday's early bluster, the closest they came to scoring themselves was through Burnley skipper Frank Sinclair, who gave Brian Jensen kittens late in the day with a point-blank backward header that was thankfully directed straight at the stunned Dane.

Otherwise, Jensen could relax and join the visiting fans' enjoyment of a game that Burnley dominated the longer it went on.

The ever-changing defence has seemingly rediscovered the mean streak that was a hallmark last season. In fact, if we conveniently exclude Phil Bardsley's first minute own goal against Southampton last week, it's now almost three and a half games since Stoke's Paul Gallagher became the last opponent to celebrate scoring.

If the defence has earned plaudits, the Burnley midfield has also risen to the task of transforming the dismal run of six straight defeats into three unbeaten matches ... and counting.

In the absence of anchorman Micah Hyde, James O'Connor is back at his tigerish, niggling best, while teenager Chris McCann continues to grow in stature with every 90 minutes and Alan Mahon's immediate impact has given the team a whole new dimension.

Then there is the focal point of the attack, Andy Gray.

The former Sunderland striker may be a different animal to Akinbiyi, but his willingness to fight for every ball, work the entire back four and maintain possession are attributes that will surely stand the club in good stead.

And goal-poacher Gray could easily have been celebrating his third in four appearances but for a goalline clearance when he repeated Tuesday night's heroics by rounding the goalkeeper and looking odds-on to score.

That fourth clear-cut goalscoring opportunity underlines how superior Burnley were to their hosts, whose flirtation with relegation goes on another week into a crucial trip to battling Crewe next weekend.

And Burnley's display was all the more impressive considering the boost Wednesday had just quarter of an hour into the game, when the electronic scoreboard confirmed Brighton's shock 2-0 lead at Millwall to pre-empt Owls boss Paul Sturrock's prediction that a victory over Burnley would see his side safe.

The resulting roar of a 25,000-strong Hillsborough crowd made for a deafening 12th man as Wednesday went on to edge the opening 45 minutes.

However, by the time the scoreboard had whipped the crowd into a frenzy, the hosts should also have been behind.

Inside two minutes Mahon, operating on his preferred left side with Graham Branch switching to the right, trotted across the pitch to deliver an inswinging free kick that Ricketts met with a free header only to miss the target from eight yards.

Wednesday's clearest chance, midway through the half, was of Burnley's own making as Jon Harley and Frank Sinclair jumped for the same ball and Chris Brunt took advantage to race clear down the right.

His low ball into the box finally dropped at the feet of Marcus Tudgay, whose low shot across Jensen was comfortably parried out by the Dane diving low to his right.

Gray, constantly barracked by home fans for his connections with Steel City rivals United, almost silenced his snipers seconds before the break when he created a chance out of nothing with clever chest control and a smart spin.

However, the resulting shot was dragged across goal to the relief of Wednesday keeper Scott Carson.

But if such chances were at a premium in the first half, Burnley put their foot to the floor after the break to underline their superiority.

Cotterill readily admits to he pinching himself at landing Mahon from Wigan Athletic for a cut-price £200,000.

And it's easy to see why because the Premiership playmaker's left foot must be worth that on its own!

In the 64th minute, his pinpoint corner from the left was met perfectly by Sinclair, who somehow directrd the ball down and just wide of the far post before holding his head in his hands.

McCann did likewise soon after wheh Mahon popped up on the right and cut inside to whip over a cross that invited everyone to head it home.

McCann was the best placed of three Burnley players to head past the exposed Carson, but amazingly directed his header wide from just six yards out.

Inbetween those chances, Gray raced on to Ricketts flick and rounded Carson, only for Simek to save the day.

Wednesday were now a spent force, although Sinclair almost cost the Clarets a point with a careless back header.

Thankfully, the stalemate remained unbroken and the point keeps the top half of the table tantalisingly within the Clarets' reach.

More of the same between now and the end of April, and the season could have a happy ending after all.