IT’S a sign of the worrying times at Wanderers that even on a good day they emerge empty-handed.

For nearly an hour there was little to distinguish between Burnley, a solid and well-balanced side who will surely be top-three material this season, and a Whites outfit that have developed chronic travel sickness in 2015.

That is until Andre Gray, the Clarets’ classy £7million striker, made his mark with two well-taken goals in 12 second-half minutes. Whatever praise directed towards Bolton’s pluckiness from there on in was worthless.

So often, and particularly away from the Macron Stadium, one opponent has made the difference. The trouble is, nearly every side in the Championship has possession of such a player.

Burnley have Gray, Middlesbrough have Diego Fabbrini, Blackburn have Jordan Rhodes, even Huddersfield Town have Muzzy Carayol.

Wanderers were left behind financially by the majority of this division a long time ago and it has been a case of diminishing returns.

You have to feel for Neil Lennon, the manager almost always being the expendable pawn in a case like this. At Turf Moor you could see the work he had done over the international break on team shape, and defensively they coped well with a potent attack. Jay Spearing’s injury just before half time tore the game-plan in half and allowed Scott Arfield to take control of midfield, bringing the dangerous Gray into play.

Lennon won’t want sympathy. He knows how this game works. But you have to ask yourself just how much more he can do?

Spearing’s appearance was itself a last throw of the dice, with the former Liverpool man all-but ignored since his red card against Derby County on the opening game of the season.

Josh Vela remains in a similar situation, kicking his heels on the bench, and perhaps he could add some spark in two forthcoming home games against Birmingham City and Leeds United that Wanderers can ill-afford to lose.

You get the feeling that supporters’ feelings towards the manager at are a tipping point. And though there are many, many reasons why his side are struggling that are beyond his control, he needs to find some magic from somewhere because the Whites are currently limping towards relegation in exactly the same zombie-like state that Wigan Athletic and Blackpool did last year.

Effort is not in short supply. The likes of Liam Feeney, Gary Madine, Neil Danns and David Wheater are giving everything they have got – but that crucial bit of quality is lacking all too often.

Feeney missed a glorious chance at the far post from Jose Casado’s cross with the score at 1-0, four minutes later Gray was wheeling away to celebrate a second, gifted by a poor challenge by Danns in midfield on Sam Vokes that left his side wide open.

Other times it’s just old fashioned bad luck that is counting against Wanderers. Take Wheater’s late header, hooked off the line by Tendayi Darikwa with five minutes to go, or Emile Heskey heading straight at Tom Heaton with the whole goal begging just moments later.

Looking at the performance as a whole there are encouraging signs. Debutant Casado looked comfortable on the ball and sound defensively, Wheater was solid on his return, Derik Osede looked like a natural right-back and Wellington was again a spiky unpredictable presence in attack. But that one of the better away displays should still come to nothing is a matter of grave concern.

The first half was even, although Gray could have opened the scoring after hunting down Wheater to chase on to a long ball over the top, dragging his shot just wide of the post.

Vokes also had a shot hooked off the line by Wheater after playing a clever one-two on the edge of the box.

Despite those two scares Wanderers felt in control for much of the half. Danns had an early shot tipped over by Heaton and Spearing’s replacement Mark Davies got another low shot on target.

Wellington tormented and teased his markers and won a few free-kicks around the penalty box, much to the home fans’ chagrin. If the Brazilian could get his final delivery right more often, he could be the difference maker Wanderers have been searching for.

Ben Amos was desperately unlucky as Burnley forged ahead. Gray ended up with a tap in after being denied superbly by the Whites keeper, who then made an equally impressive stop from Arfield.

Feeney could have brought the sides level but once Burnley grabbed a second it was game over.

Referee Graham Scott missed a foul on Wellington but there was an air of inevitability as the hosts sliced through midfield, Arfield playing in Gray for another fine finish, his sixth goal of the season.

Lennon threw on Heskey and Stephen Dobbie with little difference made. By then Burnley were enjoying themselves and Amos made three further stops from Gray and ex-Bolton man Matt Taylor.

The Wanderers boss then faced up to another examination: Why did it go wrong? How do you put it right? But there is no easy answer.

There is no shortage of effort on or off the pitch to remedy the current situation but with nearly a quarter of the season gone you have to wonder whether it will be enough to stop the club sliding further.

Last week an excerpt from Sam Allardyce’s book reflected on a period in the club’s recent history where he felt more investment could have propelled them towards the Champions League. One wonders if in a few year’s time we look back at this period in history and wonder what would have happened if Eddie Davies had given one more show of financial support to buy the player Lennon so desperately needs?