STEVE Cotterill admitted he was counting down the days to the Easter break after Wolves sucked the life from leg-weary Burnley last night.

Wanderers finally extinguished any lingering hope of the Clarets making a late dash for the play offs with a convincing 2-0 victory at Molineux.

And Cotterill felt that playing a form team on their own patch was always one step too far for a small squad suffering from their season-long exertions.

"I thought we looked what we are -- tired and leg-weary," admitted the Clarets boss. "We didn't look like we could get around the park and all the things that have got us results this season just never came out.

"The boys looked tired and no matter whether we played one or two in attack, it made no difference whatsoever.

"Unfortunately, it was just a matter of a small squad being stretched that little bit too far. We looked as if we played with a team that, dare I say it, had almost guaranteed safety and what we need now is the Sheffield United game out of the way on Saturday and then try to recharge our batteries for the final eight games of the season."

Goals from Kenny Miller and Paul Ince either side of half time earned Wanderers their seventh straight win over Burnley at Molineux.

And Cotterill insisted: "We were disappointed with the first goal because we spoke about keeping an eye on Miller an hour before the game.

"Then they got lucky with their second goal because I thought Ince went to head it and missed it.

"It sat up nicely and then to be fair, he is always going to hit the target from the edge of the box and then it was all uphill for us."

The Clarets miserable night in the Midlands was sealed in stoppage time when influential defender John McGreal was sent off for a second bookable offence.

But Cotterill, who revealed that midfielder Tony Grant also suffered a groin injury, insisted: "I didn't think John deserved to be sent off and all night I thought there were some strange decisions, but that is not to blame for the result.

"Wolves have some quality players and a squad you would be very enviable of and you can't come here, not quite be good enough and expect to go away with a result.

"We weren't good enough, but to be fair the lads have given me everything all season and I can't have a gripe.

"There have been very few games where we have played like that."

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He added: "The play offs might have been a realistic target when we were tenth with four games in hand, but it was always going to be a big ask.

"Nobody ever talked about the play offs, but we have nine games to go now and we have to aim to finish like we started the first nine games."