LUKAS Jutkiewicz is eager to play his part in the battle against the drop during Burnley’s crucial final five games of the season.

Jutkiewicz is still awaiting his first competitive goal since arriving at Turf Moor last summer and has featured rarely since the return of fellow striker Sam Vokes from injury.

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But the 26-year-old came on for the final half hour in Saturday’s 1-0 loss at his former club Everton, and hopes he can contribute to Burnley’s survival fight during the run-in.

“Everyone on this team wants to help where they can,” Jutkiewicz said.

“If I get half an opportunity to help out the team and help try to put some point some points on the table, everyone is going to take that.”

Jutkiewicz actually featured longer at Goodison Park on Saturday than he did during his entire three years as an Everton player, when his only first-team appearance came as an 86th-minute substitute in a match against Sunderland in 2008.

But the forward was given a warm reception by the home crowd and expressed his gratitude for that.

“That was great, I thank the fans for that,” he said.

“They support the team really well, they travel well, that’s one thing I remember from being there.

“The atmosphere they had at Goodison was always bouncing, so it was nice to be back.”

Jutkiewicz was unhappy, however, with the Kevin Mirallas challenge on George Boyd that surprisingly received a yellow card rather than a red.

“It’s difficult in real time but I’ve seen it since and it doesn’t look great,” he said.

“I’ve seen the marks in Boydy’s legs and it was a naughty tackle.

“But the ref can only see it in real time.”

The Clarets dropped to the bottom of the table with defeat at Goodison but Jutkiewicz says Burnley’s level-headed approach will pay dividends in the final five games of the campaign.

“It’s five massive games really,” he said.

“It’s 15 points to play for and they are all as valuable as each other.

“There’s still points to pick up. It’s tight down the bottom.

“We’re staying positive right until the very end. We’re the same as we were on day one, it hasn’t faltered at any point of the season.

“After 10 games when we hadn’t won and over Christmas when we were doing well, it hasn’t changed.

“It’s the same mentality throughout.”