Dan Black's verdict as Burnley bid to keep their Championship legacy alive — or face the threat of becoming a statistic

After winning promotion to the Premier League with seven games remaining, and following that up with victory over title rivals Sheffield United, the Clarets held every chance of becoming one of the all-time great Championship sides.

This stage of the season - the "business" end - tends to have a habit of throwing up all kinds of quirky outcomes, but two points from three games against a selection of the division's most vulnerable was far from expected.

Reading's record-breaking 106-point return from 2005-06 was a target prior to the stalemate in Berkshire, and became insurmountable afterwards, while the 2-2 draw versus Rotherham United at the New York Stadium capitulated any dreams of stardom.

Milestones were always secondary to any objectives Kompany, 37, had set out this term, but the league leaders are now at risk of becoming another statistic in a long line of second tier winners after losing out to lowly QPR.

They can change that by winning their remaining three fixtures and joining the Royals, Sunderland, Newcastle United, Fulham and Leicester City as only the sixth team in history at this level to hit three figures.

The soon-to-be crowned champions deserve recognition, they should be remembered, especially having registered 16 and 22-game unbeaten runs, and equalling a league best 10 wins on the bounce, achieved by the Cottagers and Aston Villa before them.

Gareth Ainsworth's Hoops, who spent the majority of their time feigning injury, delayed the inevitable once more, while helping their own cause, by inflicting a first Turf Moor reversal on their hosts in 25 games, which was only their second triumph in 21 league outings.

Kompany's four Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month accolades are a reflection of Burnley's excellence this season, it's true that they've already achieved something quite brilliant, but it'd be a significant dampener if the campaign petered out now.

With the Manchester City legend excruciatingly close to his first trophy in management, he said: "It's still too hypothetical.

"The odds are in our favour, but we want to get this over the line, so you can ask me again once we've lifted the silverware. I'll tell you how I feel. The job needs to be done and we want to do it first.

"There is already some achievement to this season and that's something I share with the lads. You have to enjoy these types of moments. You've got to try and win games while having a positive energy around the place.

"I look back at my career, 20 years in football, and it's the third time I'm experiencing this, this type of feeling with four/five games left and you've already done the hardest part of the job."

He added: "You can look around you and enjoy it, be around a group of lads and know that together you've achieved something special. It's not just about winning, it's about the way you won. We've got three games to really solidify that, but you can play an entire career without ever experiencing it, so this is a special time.

"You've got to cherish it, but it should also be something that elevates you. Most of the players don't realise that it might be a while before they experience something like this again."

Silverware doesn't get dished out willy nilly. You only have to look through Burnley's squad list to see just how hard it is to come by at the highest level.

Charlie Taylor, Josh Brownhill, Jay Rodriguez, Josh Cullen and Halil Dervisoglu have all been part of play-off winning squads, Manuel Benson and Arijanet Muric have been involved in Belgian Cup and Belgian Super Cup and FA Cup and EFL Cup successes respectively, but only Ashley Barnes, Lyle Foster and Darko Churlinov have landed league titles.

Kompany understands how significant a part such inexperience can play in the final run in, having played the occasion, and chased the treasure in the past, rather than simply trying to win a game of football.

QPR had thrown a spanner in the works 11 years ago when leading 2-1 with 10 men at the Etihad, as Manchester United were just minutes away from snatching the crown from under their noisy neighbours' noses.

Of course, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero saved the day as City got up on the line to pinch a photo finish, but everything they'd worked towards with Roberto Mancini had gone out of the window as the trophy's glimmer, the club's first top flight title since 1968, proved too much of a distraction.

It happened again the following season when relegated Wigan Athletic prevailed in the FA Cup final at Wembley, as Ben Watson's stoppage time header caused an upset.

"I can't repeat how much I'm not surprised by what I saw today," said Kompany. "I could've written you the scenario on a piece of paper before the game and you learn.

"I went through the team before the game to see how many players had actually won trophies and it's very scarce. I know these moments, I know what they're going through, and I think they'll realise that they can do what they've done all season, just try to win the game."

There was nothing wrong with Burnley's first half display. Indeed, without Rob Dickie's intervention, they would've been out of sight by the break.

The centre back adopted a theatrical method to clear Ian Maatsen's attempt off the line, he then positioned himself beyond Seny Dieng to stop Manuel Benson's follow-up from going in just seconds after the bar had denied the Belgian and the Senegal international goalkeeper had kept out Barnes.

And then the ex-Oxford United defender, who was capped for England's Under 19s, got his head in the way of a Connor Roberts effort, as the Welshman struck his volley into the ground from Benson's assist.

Kompany reflected: "If you lose the game after playing like that first half, then that's life, it's football. It's not going to happen three or four times, if you play like this you'll win nine out of 10 games. But if you start chasing, and making stuff up, that's where I can see that we're not experienced. That's the great thing, you get that learning now."

There was no need for panic, though former Blackburn Rovers season-ticket holder Ainsworth pointed out: “There was one period of play where they hit Rob Dickie’s face, hit Seny Dieng and then hit the crossbar within about 10 seconds and I was thinking ‘this might be our day. If that’s happened, this might be our day’ and sometimes you get that."

Still, the table toppers are well versed in going in level at the break and then blowing their opponents out of the water in the second half, particularly at Turf Moor.

But there was something about Sam Field's finish, from substitute Ethan Laird's long throw, that seemed to switch the mentality, and it wasn't reminiscent of the responses that saw the Clarets overturn deficits against Reading, the Millers, Middlesbrough, West Brom and Watford.

The opener was completely against the run of play - conveyed by facetious chants of "we've got the ball" from the travelling supporters - with Burnley having more than 80 percent possession, but it seemed to hit harder on this occasion, and the reaction was more forced.

The home side were uncharacteristic in their approach, misplacing passes, mistiming runs, making unforced errors and generally failing to function as they sought an equaliser.

They required another Benson howitzer to get back on level terms, but everything either side was a little bit desperate, and the away side found a way of punishing Burnley's structure, which mirrored something of a 3-1-5-1 on occasions.

Sinclair Armstrong was their secret weapon, with pace to burn, as he proved to be a troublesome out-ball for QPR, helping them turn their opponents over time and time again.

It required a magnificent last ditch challenge from Jordan Beyer to deny him in one instance, while Ilias Chair, an international team-mate of Anass Zaroury, benefitted from his hold-up play.

The Moroccan tested Muric twice, both needing high class saves, as he cut in from the left hand side, prior to the visitors' winner, which came three minutes from time.

The defending was simply non-existent as veteran forward Chris Martin flicked Jamal Lowe's cross into the far corner. "You've got to be consistent in what you do," Kompany concluded.

"The simple things like your reactions when you lose the ball to take out the counter, your intensity to get round the ball after direct play, those types of things. Don't be afraid to use the goalkeeper to escape pressure.

"If you look at the way we approached the second half, it's what I've known with teams who haven't been in trophy-winning positions. It's exactly what happens and I'm very familiar with this because you learn that it's not worth it to do it this way the first time around, so you adapt and then treat it like any other game."

What these last three games have taught us, quite pertinently, is that the Championship leaders have been a shell in the final third without their leading scorer.

If ever a period screamed "sign him up", this was it. The 19-goal 23-year-old's future is dependent on Southampton's stance, but I'm sure the club are prioritising his signature.