Town endured a miserable night at Turf Moor with goals from James and Garreth O'Connor and Chris McCann giving the Clarets a convincing win.

James O'Connor gave the home side the lead with a deflected shot just the half hour mark with his namesake Garreth adding a second with an excellent free-kick on 72 minutes.

Chris McCann made it three right at the end, being left alone six yards out to head in from a corner.

Town boss Joe Royle kept the same side that kicked off at Leeds on Saturday with the only change on the bench, Jaime Peters replacing Dean McDonald.

Ade Akinbiyi tested Lewis Price as early as the second minute with a shot from the angle but it was Sam Parkin who had the first real chance of the game, the Town striker beating two defenders before shooting just wide of the near post.

Akinbiyi, whose pace caused Town's defence problems all night, then escaped the offside flag but Price again was equal to the task, blocking the Burnley striker's shot.

Akinbiyi flashed a shot well wide on 23 minutes as he carried his one man attack at the Blues' goal with John Spicer then beaten to the loose ball in the box by Price.

Dean Bowditch twice had cracks at goal within a minute, then Richard Naylor failed to hit the target from 10 yards with a header from Jim Magilton's corner.

Just past the half hour mark Steve Cotterill's side took the lead, James O'Connor's deflected shot looping off Jason De Vos' outstretched boot and over Price into the net.

Burnley went close to adding a second on 35 minutes, Naylor slipping as Akinbiyi set up Graham Branch whose shot was deflected for a corner, James O'Connor firing wide from the follow up.

Town pressed forward in the early exchanges of the second-half, one Parkin effort blocked by Keith Lowe prompting a Clarets break, Spicer shooting wide.

Price then saved well at his near post from Akinbiyi as the home side continued to carve out the better openings, James O'Connor releasing Akinbiyi again inside the box, the former Stoke man hitting the sidenetting.

A mistake by Sito gifted Akinbiyi a great chance to make it two on the hour but he failed to beat Price again.

Owen Garvan tested Brian Jensen with a drive from distance before Blues made a double change with Danny Haynes and Peters replacing Bowditch and Magilton with half an hour left on the clock.

Haynes was immediately in the action, getting on the end of a Jay McEveley cross, Parkin firing wide from the rebound.

Garreth O'Connor extended the home side's lead on 72 minutes when the midfielder drilled a low free-kick past the wall and Price and into the net.

Akinbiyi should have done better with a clear header as the game entered the last 10 minutes, failing to test Price after escaping his marker before substitute McCann completed the scoring three minutes from time, flashing in a header from Garreth O'Connor's corner to make it a disappointing night for Blues.

Town: Price, Sito, De Vos, Naylor, McEveley, Currie, Magilton (Peters 62), Garvan, Horlock, Parkin, Bowditch (Haynes 62). Subs not used: Supple, Juan, Wilnis.