We should perhaps have known that it wasn’t going to be our day when Graham Alexander missed his spot-kick midway through the first half.

Alexander has forged a well-earned reputation for being consistently lethal from 12 yards.

Since joining the Clarets, Grezza plus dead ball plus penalty spot has always equalled certain goal.

He is as reliable and accurate as the speaking clock.

So when his trademark straight run-up and toe-bung technique resulted in a goal-kick to Bristol City rather than a 1-0 advantage to Burnley, the portents for the remainder of the afternoon were not particularly encouraging.

But then up to that point, nor was the home side’s performance. Aside from Alexander’s curate’s egg of a miss, the opening 45 minutes could reasonably be described as something of a non-event.

The verve and brio which had thrilled Turf Moor and sent Owen Coyle back to Horwich with his tail firmly between his legs on Tuesday evening was conspicuous by its absence.

In its place was a stuttering, sloppy disjointed affair which never truly got going, certainly not sufficiently to test a woefully underemployed David James in the visitor’s goal.

It is a small cause for concern that in all four of their home games in the Championship, the Clarets have looked largely lethargic in the first half.

And although Bristol City carried limited attacking threat, both Nottingham Forest and Leicester City should have taken advantage, and Preston North End did.

Fellow relegation victims, Hull City provide tonight’s opposition.

And if the Clarets are able to play for all 90 minutes rather than just the second 45, there is no reason why three points cannot be banked this evening.