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It may well have been helped by Jamie Ward doing what he does best against Burnley, getting sent off, but Nigel Clough must be trying to fool himself if he honestly believes it was such a turning point. Long before the red card came out his team were on the rack and had the earlier, blatant, penalty been awarded they would have already been behind.
Some are advocates of summer football and it was their sort of day yesterday. I was sat watching cricket on Thursday enjoying the sun at Aigburth but it was even hotter at Derby and I was relieved to get inside the ground and into the shade.
Once inside we got the team news and in truth I couldn't believe it. I'd thought there might be a chance of Chris McCann being in the squad after he was withdrawn after an hour of Wednesday's reserve team game but I never expected him getting a start.
He'd been a topic of conversation on the journey down, but not because of any chances of him playing. We were discussing our game at Pride Park two years earlier when McCann scored our goal in a 1-1 draw. "It was his last Burnley goal," I said.
With Dean Marney ruled out, Eddie Howe took the decision to throw Chris straight in and what a reception he got from the Burnley fans. It was the only change to the team that had beaten Middlesbrough on Tuesday and there was also one change on the bench with David Edgar coming in for Shane Duffy who has returned to Everton.
McCann got an early touch on the ball but it was Derby who claimed the first advantage as they went in front after just six minutes. They got down their left far too easily and when the cross came over there was only Danny Fox to defend and Theo Robinson got in front of him to score from close range.
It was just the start we didn't want but we soon got into our stride and no one could deny us the equaliser that came on the quarter hour, and what a good goal it was. Elliott got in a cross from the right that went to the far side of the box where Jay Rodriguez headed it back into the middle and down to Chris Iwelumo.
Iwelumo, back to goal, took the ball, turned and laid it off to Eagles who had one touch before hitting a shot into the top right hand corner. Just what we wanted and we got on top for a while although Derby always looked dangerous when they came forward, especially through Robinson whose pace was causing us problems.
That's how the second goal came but Fox needn't have conceded the corner. When the corner came over Iwelumo was floored in our box. Incredibly nothing was given and when the ball was headed out by Duff it was pounced on by Ward whose shot took a deflection off McCann and past Jensen.
We didn't deserve to be behind but as Derby came forward we might have conceded another. Even so, a 2-1 scoreline at half time I felt flattered the home side but little did they know what was to come.
Derby actually had the first opportunity of the second half, but Jensen kept them out in his only serious piece of action all half. From that moment on we simply gave them a football lesson as we just simply took over the game.
McCann was doing well in the midfield alongside a rejuvenated Jack Cork who was running the show. Eagles was in inspired form and Elliott was having his best game of the season with Tyrone Mears rampaging down the right alongside him. Surely it was only a matter of time before we got back into the game.
We thought we'd come close after one brilliant move, mainly involving Cork and Eagles, that ended with Eagles sprawled out in their penalty box. Derby's Robbie Savage was the culprit for as blatant a penalty as you are ever likely to see.
I honestly believe referee Mick Russell was unsighted because he clearly put the onus on his assistant, Sian Massey. Whatever she was doing at the time heaven only knows. Her hair was tied back so that wasn't in the way. Incredibly she pointed her flag for a corner and not for the obvious penalty.
Savage knew he'd got away with it. He was having a laugh, a one way one I'd suggest, with Eagles who required treatment and at that point Derby must have thought it was going to be there day.
No chance, two minutes later a brilliant ball from Eagles found Mears clear in the box. With only the goalkeeper to beat he was floored by Ward. This time Russell didn't bother with her on the line and pointed straight to the spot and then pulled out the red for Ward.
It was every bit as blatant as the one not given and Derby weren't even spared when Brad Jones saved Eagles' penalty. It was a good save too but Eagles was smart enough to get onto the rebound and hit home a second equaliser before dancing in front of the away fans.
2-2, playing against 10, we weren't going to let this opportunity go and what two fantastic goals to go on and win it.
Inevitably the next goal came from yet another move down the right, as had the previous two. We'd given former Claret Russell Anderson an absolute nightmare of an afternoon.
It came only three minutes after the equaliser when Wade, of all players, got between two defenders in the centre to head home a delightful Eagles cross. Wade hadn't scored a league goal this season until this week but he's always had a habit of getting his goals in clusters. His celebrations suggested he'd enjoyed that but I can confirm it wasn't his first headed goal for the Clarets, he got the winner in the home game against Watford in the promotion season.
In front now and we weren't going to let this one go. We'd got the cake (the win) but the icing was as sweet as it could have been when it came. Anyone not knowing, watching this game, could have had no idea McCann had been out for so long such was his performance.
He'd slotted in as if he'd never been away. In the heat yesterday I was surprised he stayed on as long as he did but I'm so pleased he did because, with 16 minutes remaining, he picked up a short pass from Andre Bikey just over the half way line.
From there he drove forward, in such typical McCann style, before unleashing a 25-yarder that hammered against the bottom of the right hand post before going in. The away end lifted, every single fan was celebrating with him, and the players joined in too.
All 10 team mates went to him, yes, including Brian Jensen. What a fantastic way for him to celebrate his return to first team football.
Just a few minutes later he was substituted and received a standing ovation from everyone involved with Burnley, not just the fans behind the goal, not just the players on the pitch, but every single one of them in the technical area.
We simply then just saw the game out and took ourselves level with Nottingham Forest who currently occupy that sixth place.
It seems, just now, that I'm leaving every game with either my chin on the floor or my head banging on the ceiling - this one was without doubt the latter and it's a long time since I saw Burnley play as well away from home as they did here in the second half.
Three games to go and a chance - not bad since I wrote it off just over a week ago. We've got some tough games ahead but I wouldn't back against us now if we could repeat this kind of form. Come on Burnley, keep my chin off the ground for a few more weeks.
The teams were;
Derby: Brad Jones, John Brayford, Daniel Ayala, Shaun Barker, Russell Anderson (Miles Addison 82), Robbie Savage (Jeff Hendrick 80), James Bailey, Stephen Pearson, Jamie Ward, Steve Davies (Callum Ball 77), Theo Robinson. Subs not used: Ross Atkins, Conor Doyle, Ben Davies, Alberto Bueno.
Red Card: Jamie Ward.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Michael Duff, Andre Bikey, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Chris McCann (Graham Alexander 78), Wade Elliott, Chris Eagles (Ross Wallace 82), Jay Rodriguez, Chris Iwelumo (Steven Thompson 71). Subs not used: Lee Grant, David Edgar, Clarke Carlisle, Nathan Delfouneso.
Yellow Card Andre Bikey.
Referee: Mick Russell (Hertfordshire).
Attendance: 25,187 (including 1,093 Clarets).