Burnley's impressive defensive record has taken the Sky Bet Championship by storm, with Scott Parker's Clarets on their way to success thanks to an almost impenetrable backline.

Elsewhere, Sky Bet League One high-flyers Birmingham City are on their way to Wembley after a 2-1 victory over Bradford City in the Vertu Trophy Semi-Final.

In his latest column, renowned football commentator David Stowell analyses Burnley's secret to winning games and rounds up all the other big stories from all three divisions.

David is a veteran behind the mic, having covered every level of the club game over the last 15+ years, from youth team football all the way up to The Champions League Final for some of the biggest broadcasters in the business.

Burnley's record-breaking defence

I was once told by an ex-player – a centre-back, incidentally – that defences win football matches, and attackers determine by how much.

That pretty much sums up Burnley in the Championship at the moment, with Scott Parker’s side being so miserly at the back and their attacking output determining how many points they collect from games.

Fair play to them, they've equalled the record for most consecutive clean sheets in EFL history (11) and have passed 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal - incredible stuff.

They do, of course, possess a very good Championship goalkeeper in James Trafford, but part of the Clarets’ secret to winning games has been to protect him, stopping sides from having too many shots against him and squeezing their opponents back towards halfway.

They have only let in nine goals this term ahead of their clash with Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, and it’s worth noting a few of the Championship’s defensive records at this point.

• Fewest goals conceded in a Championship season (30 - Watford in 2020-21 and Preston in 2005-06)
• Fewest goals conceded in any English league season (15 – Chelsea, in winning the Premier League in 2004-05)

Despite their defensive heroics, Burnley have a real fight on their hands to reel in the division’s top two.

Leeds United and Sheffield United face off on Monday night in front of the Sky cameras and Burnley versus the Blades in late April will be another intriguing clash. Great credit must go to those sides and Coventry City under Frank Lampard, who have won six of their last seven league games, to fly up into Play-Off contention.

Defeat to Leeds was the only blot on the copybook in that time and there’s no shame in that. When I saw Frank recently, he was extremely happy with the squad at his disposal and felt that things were about to click. They certainly have since then. 

While I’m dishing out plaudits, what about Lewis Baker’s goal from his own half against Swansea? Strikes like those are not just about the quality of the finish, but also the vision and confidence to execute the chance.

The Swans have since parted ways with Luke Williams, with seven defeats from nine leading to his departure. The club was on the cusp of the Play-Off spots at the turn of the year, but their form recently has seen them tumble down the table. 

It's all change at Cambridge United too, after the departure of Garry Monk – who led Swansea to their best Premier League finish (8th in 2014/15).

I witnessed his Cambridge side being dismantled by Birmingham City last week, in a top-versus-bottom clash which went very much as expected and when I spoke to him afterwards, he was optimistic about going again against Exeter City at the weekend.

But the Grecians – fresh from their impressive FA Cup showing against Nottingham Forest – had the bit between their teeth and emerged victorious, leaving Garry with just 1 win in 13 games. I wish him and Luke well for the future, wherever it takes them.

The race for silverware is on

Elsewhere, the Sky Bet League Two promotion picture is heating up a treat. I was at Vale Park on Thursday as Port Vale defeated Notts County to strengthen their claim for an immediate Sky Bet League One return.

A couple of days later, Walsall ended their five-match winless run with a come-from-behind victory, to extend their lead at the summit. With such a congested top third of the table, it’s going to be a fascinating run-in.

Congratulations to Birmingham City who are on their way to Wembley for the Vertu Trophy Final, to face either Wrexham or Peterborough.

The Blues survived a scare against League Two Bradford City in the semi-final, but will now march to the arch for the first time in 14 years, since winning the 2011 League Cup against Arsenal.

Commiserations to the Bantams, who lost to Wycombe at this stage last season and have taken part in the semi-finals five times, but have never made it through to the Wembley showpiece.

Finally, I’d like to wish James Chester all the very best as he hangs up his boots. I’ve known James since his academy days and he has always been a heart-on-sleeve kind of player and a very good one at that.

You don’t win promotion from the Championship to the top tier twice, play over 500 games and feature on the international stage if you don’t know what you’re doing. Enjoy the rest Chezzy!