THE Clarets bad habit of struggling against 'lesser' opponents was once again in evidence as they fell to a side who were playing in the non-league last season.

Conference champions Rushden and Diamonds, whose appearance at Turf Moor made them the 105th club to compete in the League Cup, could not be faulted for their effort but questions had to be asked of the home side.

Burnley boss Stan Ternent made six changes from to the team who had beaten Wimbledon in Division One at the weekend, but his argument that he needed to test the depth of his squad was more than valid.

Sadly for Ternent he did not get the answers he wanted from some of the players to whom he posed the question were they hungry enough for a first team place.

In came Mark McGregor, Arthur Gnohere and Dimitri Papadopoulos for their Clarets debuts, while Brad Maylett, John Mullin and Kevin Ball made their first appearances of the season.

McGregor, a goal scorer on his debut and linked well with substitute Glen Little on the right.

And Frenchman Gnohere, who was at times sublime down the left, certainly had some of the right answers.

However, for Mullin, Maylett and Papdopoulos there will be an urge to ask if they can re-sit the examination.

Such was Burnley's lack of cohesion in the first half that the Diamonds were able to sparkle and it was that trio who made way for Little, Ian Moore and Paul Cook at half-time as Ternent sought to regain some balance to his side.

However, not all the blame could be laid at the feet of just three players.

Lethargy seemed infectious amongst the home side in the first half and the likes of striker Gareth Taylor, who last week was celebrating a recall to the Welsh international squad, will probably be one of those pondering the thought 'you are only as good as your last game'.

Taylor struggled to make an impact against Rushden's twin towers of Mark Peters and John Rodwell, but there were others failing to produce the required standard and quite simply the Clarets problem lay in stringing together more than three passes in the opening 45 minutes.

Taylor had in fact already tested Diamonds keeper Billy Turley with a good diving header before the men from Nene Park grabbed the lead after only five minutes.

Australian-born midfielder Jon Brady, a danger from set plays, curled in a corner and Peters was allowed a free header which he powered into the Clarets net.

Even such an early wake up call failed to instill any kind of urgency or conviction into the Clarets play and while opportunities did fall for Greek under-21 international Papadopoulos, for whom a mixture of bad luck and poor finishing ensured he gained no reward, Rushden remained a threat with the shoot on sight policy of midfielder Stuart Gray and the pace of ex-Morecambe striker Justin Jackson posing the major problems.

Diamonds keeper Turley played a part saving smartly at the feet of Alan Moore and then doing the same again as Taylor took one touch too many in the box, but it was not until the second half that he knew he had had been in a game.

The introduction of the three players at half-time gave Burnley a new lease of life and better balance in their formation but disaster struck five minutes after the interval as Diamonds right-back Tarkan Mustafa picked up the ball just inside the Clarets half and was allowed to eat up ground before unleashing a superb right-foot drive that ripped into the net from 25 yards.

Four minutes after Mustafa's rocket a Steve Davis cross was met by Alan Moore who headed in his second goal in two games, but still the Clarets were playing catch up.

Ian Moore twisted and turned and forced Turley into action and full-back Gnohere made more and more raids down the left ghosting past defenders and asking plenty of questions, but equally his forays opened up space for Rushden to exploit.

The chance of a Rushden goal on the counter attack certainly existed and on 76 minutes that threat became all too real as Jackson delivered a good low cross into the Clarets box and substitute Duane Darby, on the field just seven minutes, thumped the ball into the roof of the net from six yards.

With time running out Burnley reacted.

First Ian Moore broke free but his clipped shot over Turley hit the crossbar.

Then hope was restored seven minutes from time as a cross from the right looped off a Diamonds defender and McGregor was on hand to head home.

With a minute on the clock a raid down the right involving Little and McGregor led to Ball receiving the ball at the top of the box but his drive was inches wide.

That truly was the last throw of the dice for the home side and, hanging on in determined fashion, the Diamonds deservedly danced a jig of joy before their own fans after the final whistle had blown.

But while the newcomers were planning the first big party of their Football League history, the Clarets were heading for their first serious inquest of the season.

In the long run learning that there are frailties that have to be addressed at such an early stage in the season may stand Burnley in good stead, but surrendering the chance of a good cup run and the possibility of money-spinning ties in later rounds was an expensive way to go about getting wise.

RESULT: BURNLEY...2

A Moore 54, McGregor 83

RUSHDEN...3

Peters 5, Mustafa 50, Darby 76