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We are left with fourteen games to crack on, thanks to the derby comeback at Deepdale that gave us our third away league win in 2011, already bettering the previous two calendar years, but it was hard fought and we had to come from behind to get there.
Goals from our two England Under-21 internationals, Jay Rodriguez and Jack Cork, the two youngest players in our starting eleven, were enough. The win has taken us to within four points of the play offs whilst dumping our closest Championship rivals ever closer to the trap door.
The day for many Burnley supporters started early. Whilst in town yesterday morning there were many Clarets preparing for journey to Deepdale. Their confidence worried me. Many gave the impression that it was just a matter of turning up and that had me more worried than I'd previously been.
I was reasonably confident going to the recent games at Portsmouth and Watford. I certainly wasn't going to Barnsley, but there again no Burnley fan with half a brain cell could have ever expected us to win there. My lack of confidence yesterday had me a lot closer to Barnsley than the other two.
I worked in Preston for over fifteen years, and not once in that time was I ever able to celebrate a Deepdale league win although I did have that wonderful night when we reached Wembley in the Sherpa Van Trophy.
I've seen wins there in the league, three of them to be exact before yesterday, but it is not one of those grounds I ever go to with too much confidence.
We were in the ground reasonably early and had good seats although there was a reminder of our last visit as the sun came out. Earlier news had suggested that youth team goalkeeper Josh Cook was on the bench but Brian Jensen was passed fit although Josh was involved with the warm up.
The teams news was as expected; Chris Iwelumo returning at the expense of Wade Elliott and new signings Marvin Bartley and Charlie Austin replacing defenders David Edgar and Brian Easton on the bench.
My thoughts were that a scrappy opening would suit us fine, that it would curtail any early momentum from Preston. Defending the Shankly End we certainly didn't get off to anything but a scrappy start but unfortunately Preston started better than I imagined.
We had a few minutes of forward play, during which we won a couple of corners, but in the first quarter of the game we were unable to put any good football together and the only saving grace was that Preston, despite seeing more of the ball, were hardly causing us problems.
It had hardly been a good advert for the Championship but then, out of the blue, they took the lead. A ball played into the box saw Barry Nicholson get there before Tyrone Mears and he was able to direct his shot into the net although Lee Grant got a hand to it.
An arch-critic of our goalkeeper sat to my left was quick to point the finger of blame at Grant but I'm far from sure he could have done much to keep it out.
A goal down and three sides of the ground, apart from where there were empty seats, were celebrating. We'd not offered too much at all and it looked as though we were now set for a difficult afternoon.
Thankfully, that lead lasted only nine minutes before we equalised with the simplest of goals. Grant's kick up the field was aimed at Iwelumo. Big Chris, between two defenders, got up high above them and headed it on to Eagles who controlled the ball on his chest.
As it dropped he slipped a ball through for Jay Rod who nonchalantly stroked the ball home right footed past Iain Turner.
That seemed to lift us a bit but in truth there was little between the sides and neither were able to create a real chance during the rest of the first half and we went in with the score at 1-1.
In the second half I felt we stepped it up, and although it was still a close game it was us in the ascendancy. We had appeals for a penalty when Eagles went down in a challenge with Ian Ashbee on the right hand side of the box.
Referee Howard Webb waved it away. He had a strange game, seemingly hardly interested in getting involved in anything. He's often over keen at waving his cards but in this game he hardly bothered and when he did, for Preston's Iain Hume, it seemed harsh.
Jay put a header wide when, if left, it would have presented Iwelumo with a good chance and then Dean Marney went down in the box. Again no penalty was given but this time I think the referee got the decision very wrong.
There were a flurry of substitutions but going into the last ten minutes it looked as though the game was heading for a draw. Not the case, and with six minutes to go we scored a goal worthy of winning any derby.
Cork started it by sweeping a ball from the midfield out to Elliott, one of the substitutes, on the right wing. Wade delivered the perfect ball and there was Cork, who had covered some ground, to get in there with a diving header.
The Shankly lifted as one. Jack, along with Charlie Austin and Jay Rod were dancing with delight in front of it. Had we done enough to win it?
The Preston fans must have been absolutely gutted, but all credit to them for the way they reacted when we made our third change by bringing on Graham Alexander for Eagles. I know he's a hero for them but when you are on the brink of losing a big game, and after you've led, it isn't easy to give a player the sort of reception they gave Grezza. Well done North End fans.
The Shankly, of course, reminded them that he used to play in white and also explained why he no longer did so. And they also confirmed there would be a party when Preston's relegation was confirmed.
As they did so there was just one Billy Jones shot to keep out. The full back wasn't wasting time on this occasion and was allowed to play the whole game.
It was still a relief when the final whistle blew. This was an immense result for us and how the Burnley fans celebrated. Now we have to go on and make the most of the outstanding home games. If we can do that, then we are in with a chance of a top six finish.
Finally, I have to comment on the sort of reporting you can see on the internet. I'm biased, I know that, and I always write my reports from a Burnley angle. But I like to think I'm fair in my reporting and I certainly wouldn't ever defend a poor performance or suggest we've done better than we have.
So it was with some interest that I read some of the comments reported on Preston's OFFICIAL web site. Referring to the penalty claim from Marney, they wrote: "Marney has just gone down like a sack of spuds and should really have been booked for simulation."
And their reaction at the final whistle: "You won't see many more games as one sided as that, but Burnley got that all important second." Any sympathy for their plight does tend to diminish somewhat.
The teams were;
Preston: Iain Turner, David Gray, Craig Morgan, Sean St. Ledger, Billy Jones, Paul Coutts (Iain Hume 61), Ian Ashbee, Barry Nicholson, Keith Treacy (Darren Carter 82), Leon Clarke (Eddie Johnson 69), Nathan Ellington. Subs not used: Andy Lonergan, Bailey Wright, Paul Parry, Paul Hayes.
Yellow Card: Iain Hume.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Danny Fox, Jack Cork, Dean Marney, Ross Wallace (Wade Elliott 69), Chris Eagles (Graham Alexander 88), Jay Rodriguez, Chris Iwelumo (Charlie Austin 81). Subs not used: Brian Jensen, Andre Bikey, Marvin Bartley, Steven Thompson.
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham).
Attendance: 17,136.