MATT Lowton is on a revenge mission at Middlesbrough for more reasons than most, if not all, of his team-mates.

There is, of course, the recent Championship defeat at the Riverside to make up for, after the Clarets went down 1-0 to Emilio Nsue 54th minute winner.

But beyond that there are other personal factors for the right back.

He was just eight years old when his beloved boyhood club, Chesterfield, reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1997, and was taken to Old Trafford by his dad to witness the old Second Division underdogs give Premier League Middlesbrough a scare.

Sean Dyche, an uncompromising Spireites defender who was to become Lowton's manager at Turf Moor less than two decades later, scored from the penalty spot to give the minnows a 2-0 lead.

Chesterfield took Boro to a replay at Hillsborough, a game which the young Lowton also attended, although he admitted: "That one wasn't quite as good."

Middlesbrough won the re-match 3-0.

But with Burnley drawn at Middlesbrough on FA Cup third round weekend - a stage they have not surpassed since 2011 - Lowton, a finalist with Aston Villa last season, wants to get his own back.

"When you lose, in anything, you don't like it. Personally I hate losing, so it would be nice to turn it around," said the 26-year-old.

“Any time you lose you want to play them again and beat them. That’s the same in any walk of life.

“Winning breeds confidence so we want to go into every game and win it.

“We need to put a run together and there’s no reason why we can’t start on Saturday and take that into the league, get a few wins and when the next round comes around try to win that."

Lowton was not in Villa's 18-man squad against Arsenal at Wembley last May, but was included in the experience.

It is one which he cherishes, and would love to experience again.

"It was massive," he said, recalling the occasion.

"I still remember the quarter final at home to West Brom. The atmosphere that night was unbelievable. It was under lights as well, which always makes it seem that little bit more special. But then we went to the semi-final at Wembley, which was a massive occasion, and the fans - it lifted the whole place really.

"And then obviously there was the final. I remember being sat on the bus and all the streets were lined with Villa fans on the way to the ground, and when we got off the bus. It's special moments and it can do great things for your confidence as well."

For Lowton, the FA Cup has lost none of its magic.

"I grew up watching the FA Cup and thinking what a big occasion the final was, and it had always been a dream to be there," he said.

"My first memory was probably the '97 cup run that Chesterfield had when the gaffer was playing.

"My dad used to take me all the time. I remember it like it was yesterday."

Of Dyche's penalty he added: "Anything that goes in is a good one!

"It took a lot of bottle to be fair to get up there and to take it."

Burnley are far from underdogs in tomorrow's trip to Teesside. But with Middlesbrough's imperious defence and impressive home record to take into account he knows the Clarets are not favourites for the tie, let alone going all the way like he did with Villa last year.

But as his boyhood memories prove, anything can happen.

“They’re all big games obviously, but when you’ve got something like the FA Cup possibly to win - I know we’re only in the third round - but when you’ve got a chance to win something like the FA Cup it is magic," he said.

“We build up for the game as a team the same but you sense around the place with the fans that maybe it is that little bit different."

Even if they will play tomorrow's opponents twice already in the Championship this season?...

"I think on the day there will be a different feeling," he said.

"You can leave the league behind. But you can use it to your advantage as well because winning can breed confidence around the place and the club and the players.

"It's a one-off game with nothing to lose. Hopefully we can get into the next round."