THREE points translated into Brownie points when Burnley put Coventry to bed last week.

And a second successive clean sheet at Watford tomorrow could lead to another welcome lie-in on Sunday morning for Ade Akinbiyi and his team mates.

"We needed a win last weekend and we didn't care how we did it," recalled the Clarets striker.

"But when we were winning 2-0 at half-time and Coventry were down to 10 men, the manager was saying that if we conceded a goal we would be in training on Sunday.

"We were passing the ball about and the crowd were chanting 'Ole!', but he warned that if we slipped up we'd be in, so we had to focus.

"We didn't think he meant it, but he did. I think it was important to him to keep a clean sheet and he got what he wanted. It made us work harder and it shows how ambitious the gaffer is and that he wants to push on."

Who wouldn't settle for a repeat performance tomorrow at the ground where Cotterill picked up his first win as Burnley boss exactly a year ago?

And the omens are good, with Hornets boss Adrian Boothroyd still to taste victory on home soil since replacing Ray Lewington in April and ironically facing Burnley at Turf Moor in his first game in charge - a game the Clarets won 3-1.

Last year's double will also give the Clarets heart that they can build on their first win of the campaign.

"Coventry has gone now; we've got to move on to Watford and if we can put on the same performance, we can continue from there," added Akinbiyi.

"Everyone is beating everyone at the moment and all we intend to do is focus on ourselves, rather than think about other teams.

"Some teams might have a slower start and pick up, or have a good start and fall off.

"Last season Plymouth were flying at the top of the league, like Luton are now. But we know what we're capable of and we've just got to build on that."

Three goals in as many games, added to the four in nine bagged at the end of last season, sees Akinbiyi quickly approaching cult status at Turf Moor.

That wholehearted commitment and selfless running has long since wiped the slate clean following that infamous debut and red card against Sunderland last March.

And the gentle giant relishes the special relationship he has nurtured with Clarets fans.

"It's a nice relationship with the fans, although it's early days and there's going to be days when I don't play well. However, you've got to take the bad with the good," admitted Akinbiyi.

"If you work hard they will give you the praise and if you don't you'll get stick - that's part and parcel of it.

"I want to go out there and work hard and give it 100 per cent, even if I'm not scoring and as long as they can see you're doing that, then they're are going to be with you."