GERARD Houllier did not want to be added to Burnley's list of Premier League scalps in this competition and warned the Clarets he would take this fourth round tie seriously.

But it wasn't until the second-half introduction of Emile Heskey and Stewart Downing that Brian Laws' Championship side had much to worry about.

In fact, it was Villa who were on the edge. Hence the need for England internationals past and present.

Although goalkeeper Lee Grant had initially saved the day with a superb double stop in the first half, it was his counterpart, Brad Friedel, that Villa came to rely heavily upon after that.

This time two years ago Burnley enjoyed a shopping trip around Harrods after a headline grabbing win at Chelsea at this stage in the Carling Cup.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Their spell in the competition is history now too – albeit controversially after being denied a late penalty when Eric Lichaj blatantly handled Tyrone Mears' shot.

Beating former boss Owen Coyle's Bolton Wanderers will go down as a night to remember nevertheless. But Laws doesn't want his players to forget the main focus of this season.

A glorious Carling Cup run and promotion went hand-in-hand in 2008/09. Clarke Carlisle, who forced extra time with his second goal of the season last night to cancel out Heskey's 86th minute opener, said, although it was hypothetical, he did not believe one would not have been achieved without the other.

After a brave exit at Villa Park, courtesy of Downing's extra-time winner allied to a succession of Friedel saves, he will hope he is proved right in that theory this season and that Burnley are back here, on a level playing field, next season.

The Clarets were well beaten at this venue last term, although the 5-2 scoreline did flatter.

There was no such danger of being so heavily beaten on their return, and that is a positive they can take to Championship leaders QPR when they play for their first away league win on Saturday. Not to mention the strength of their squad.

While Leon Cort was forced to sit out through suspension Carlisle returned to the side as a direct replacement, following his three-match ban, as one of six changes to the side which lost for the first time at home this season against Reading on Saturday.

Michael Duff partnered the 31-year-old in central defence for the first time since coming on when Carlisle was sent off more than three weeks ago at Millwall.

In front of them was captain Graham Alexander, who came back into the side for the first time since September 25 and adopted a more advanced midfield role in a 4-1-4-1 formation, partnering Dean Marney in central midfield, with the returning Ross Wallace to their left and Jay Rodriguez keeping his place on the right.

Martin Paterson replaced the previously ever-present Chris Iwelumo in the central striking role to make his first start in 10 games. The former Scunthorpe front man, who finished top scorer with 19 two seasons ago when Burnley reached the semi-finals of this competition and went on to win promotion via the play-offs, has played less than 50 minutes in four substitute appearances in the interim.

It was at Villa Park that Paterson scored his first Premier League goal, and first of four in an injury ravaged season.

His wait to break his duck this term goes on, but not for the want of trying.

Goalkeeper Lee Grant, whose only games since signing from Sheffield Wednesday in the summer have been in the Carling Cup, was kept much busier.

After making the game's first save - a relatively comfortable one from Stephen Ireland, who had run onto a long ball upfield – he bailed out Carlisle. Big time.

The defender had been caught out trying to play Young, his former Watford team-mate, offside. When the linesman failed to give the response Carlisle had hoped for and raise his flag, Grant was under pressure as Carlisle gave chase from a standing start. And much to his relief, Grant responded magnificently.

The former Derby goalkeeper has been kept waiting for his Championship chance by Brian Jensen, who started the season with the gloves and has yet to surrender them.

But Grant continues to push the Dane all the way, notably, with a terrific double save to first deny Nigel Reo-Coker, and then Bannan when Carlisle headed out to the winger midway through the first half.

Young then lined up a free kick after going down easily under Marney's challenge on the edge of the D, for which the midfielder was booked, but he struck Grant's carefully assembled wall, and Lichaj lashed the rebound wildly wide.

But Burnley made sure Villa didn't have it all their own way in the first half.

Paterson tried to be the provider in the fifth minute, after Danny Fox broke up a Villa attack and moved the ball forward to Wallace. The Scot fed Paterson down the line, but the cross was too far behind Jay Rodriguez.

Burnley won it back and passed it around neatly, looking for an opening, which almost came when Alexander picked out Paterson in the box, but the Northern Ireland international clipped his first-time shot over the bar.

He was narrowly off target following a spell of early second half pressure from Villa too.

After Grant gathered another Bannan shot soon after the restart and Alexander executed two excellent challenges to rob Ireland of possession – the second as he prepared to pull the trigger – the Clarets began to build up some attacking momentum of their own.

Wallace played another ball down the line to Paterson, but the front man's cross was too far in front of Rodriguez this time.

Burnley persisted, and when Paterson received the ball to feet from Wallace on the right, his instinctive shot on the turn was pushed out by Friedel. Rodriguez snapped up the rebound and brought save number two from the American stopper.

His status as a former Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper perhaps provided extra incentive for Burnley-born striker Rodriguez to beat him, but Friedel tipped over the young striker's looping header from Wallace's cross seconds later.

Then, from Alexander's corner, the 21-year-old cracked a shot into the side netting.

Villa manager Gerard Houllier had stressed his desire to take this competition seriously and, although he too had opted to change things around in between league games, there was no-one in his starting 11 who hadn't tasted first team action before.

But he upped the ante with the introduction of Emile Heskey and Stuart Downing within five minutes of each other.

The latter looked certain to score when Young released him, but the England international failed to hit the target.

Burnley, roared on by a 3,000-strong following, were stunned when Heskey did, after Wade Elliott gave the ball away midway inside the Villa half and Houllier's men broke quickly. Two nutmegs later and Grant was picking the ball out of the net for the first time.

It looked enough to win it with just four minutes to go. But when Paterson pushed the ball out to Wallace from the edge of the box and the winger hung it up for Carlisle at the far post, Friedel was finally beaten by the defender's downwards header.

Neither manager wanted extra time, but Burnley had earned it.

Downing broke their hearts when their resistance was broken by a screamer.

Burnley were given hope when Albrighton was sent off for pushing Elliott in the back as he sprinted into a one-on-one.

Their luck ran out when Lichaj's handball went undetected.

But after recovering from a heavy home loss to give Villa a scare, Laws has challenged his players to bounce back again.