Clarets' striker Steven Thompson believes a first away win of the season at Wigan can provide the platform for a late push for safety.

The Clarets' 2-1 home defeat to Wolves at the weekend has left them stuck on the bottom three.

But with eight games to go there is still an escape route open and a victory at Wigan on Saturday could put Brian Laws' men just a point behind the Latics and possibly level with both Wolves and West Ham.

With just one win in 19 games the Clarets are leaving themselves little room for error.

But Thompson, whose goal against Wolves almost turned the tide back Burnley's way, insists that a trip to the DW Stadium followed by a derby clash with Blackburn Rovers provides a potential safety net.

He said: "We are running out of games and we are going to have to start picking up points.

"But why can't we go to Wigan and win and get the monkey off our backs with this away thing as well?

"I think we can go there and win. I don't see any reason why not and then after that we've got the derby at home.

"That's a winnable game and with six points that could be us out of it."

Thommo is still up for the fight

"You just don't know," Thompson added.

"We have got to keep going and keep picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves down. That's when it takes a bit of character.

"We are trying very hard to get out of this situation."

The Clarets are showing no lack of fight as they demonstrated against both Stoke and Wolves in their last two games.

The Clarets hit back to earn a point from a 1-1 draw with Stoke but left themselves just too much to do against Wolves, despite a comeback inspired by Thompson and fellow substitute Robbie Blake.

ProZone statistics revealed that Burnley increased their crosses into the penalty area by 30 per cent and their shots by 25 per cent in the final half-hour.

And Thompson certainly felt an equaliser was coming against a Wolves side that were allowed to get their noses in front and then grimly hung on for a crucial result in their own survival fight.

"That's the frustrating thing. When we are out there we do feel as though we are holding our own against these teams but not coming away with the points," Thompson said.

"There was a strong belief in the last 20 minutes after we had got one back that we were going to go on and get something from the game.

"We were very unlucky not to and I think we deserved something from the game."