BURNLEY boss Steve Cotterill hopes last night's Carling Cup defeat to Aston Villa can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

The travel-weary Clarets were unlucky to exit the competition through Kevin Phillips' solitary first half strike.

But with the Championship now the priority, beginning with Friday night's televised home clash with Hull City, Cotterill believes his battling side can take heart from a brave performance at Villa Park.

"It was a great night for the players and the supporters. We've made a few quid that we hadn't budgeted for, but we've played too many games as it is," admitted Cotterill.

"I think it was a great cup-tie and we were unfortunate. We played well in the second half after a tactical first half, but we couldn't open the game up at that stage because we might have got picked off.

"Obviously we are disappointed we've lost, but in the end those finer bits of quality kill you off.

"We knew we couldn't afford to give Villa any chances and we gave the wrong person a chance.

"Kevin scores goals and when he got in there he didn't snatch at it. He let the ball roll one more time and once he got himself composed he was always going to score.

"We just went to sleep for that one moment from a throw-in and it killed us."

Burnley, who matched their Premiership hosts in most departments, came close to earning extra time in an absorbing third round tie.

Former Arsenal defender Danny Karbassiyoon, finally making his full Clarets debut as a substitute, almost had a dramatic impact with a deflected late volley.

And Burnley players left the field believing they should have been awarded a life-saving penalty in the closing seconds, when Villa's Gareth Barry appeared to handle Garreth O'Connor's cross.

Cotterill explained: "We thought maybe it was a hand ball and a penalty. At the end of the game in the tunnel, Jon Harley and Ade Akinbiyi were talking about it straight away.

"But we made a game of it and my players rose their game. At the end of the day Villa had nothing to gain and by eating us they were not going to get much credit."