KILLER blows just don't come any crueller.

When Morten Gamst Pederson's late piledriver ripped into the net five minutes from time, it was also a piercing arrow straight through the heart of 7,000 Burnley fans that witnessed the nearest things to heaven and hell at Ewood Park.

Sometimes that was nervously peering through fingers, at other times wide-eyed with expectancy and hope as Steve Cotterill's small band of heroes took the sting out of their Premiership hosts and slowly began to turn their own noisy supporters against them!

Micah Hyde's stunning equaliser just before half time rocked the rafters of the Darwen End of the ground.

And as time ticked on the moans and groans from three sides of a packed Ewood were growing in volume with every misplaced pass when Pedersen finally sneaked in on the blind side and underlined his pre-match billing as a potential match winner.

That decisive strike was rough justice, as the very least Burnley deserved from a typically dogged display was extra time, another 30 minutes and a shot at a famous victory against a home side looking increasingly ragged.

The Clarets knew it, the travelling fans sensed it and Blackburn Rovers certainly felt it.

The game plan had worked like clockwork, with the magnificent central defensive pairing of Gary Cahill and Frank Sinclair acting as sponges to soak up everything in Blackburn's kitchen sink.

Flanked by Michael Duff and Mo Camara, they absorbed the expected early assault and a few flutters just after the half time interval, first when Paul Dickov was denied by Brian Jensen's instincts and then when the imposing Ryan Nelsen stooped to bounce a free header inside the six-yard box over the crossbar.

Midfield grafter Tony Grant survived a second minute assault by Robbie Savage to put in another faultless shift alongside telepathic partner Hyde, whose own strike was justice meted out following the wicked deflection that took Tugay's speculative 31st minute drive into the net.

And as the second half wore on, Burnley were even comfortably competing with 10 men, with Grant by now a virtual passenger as countless blocks and tackles finally took their toll.

Tellingly, it was only when the midfield general hobbled off that Rovers finally cut Burnley's central spinal cord in the raid that led to Pedersen's strike.

And now broken, there was never going to be time for the Clarets to pick themselves off the floor for one last drive.

So, four years down the line, another long-awaited chance to beat the old rival has come and gone.

Critics will naturally point to Burnley's lack of genuine goalscoring opportunities in both games against their Premiership foes just eight miles down the M65.

But sensible Clarets fans accept that Cotterill has had to cut his cloth accordingly, while seeing his attacking edge blunted when Robbie Blake sought his move to the big time.

The hope is that £600,000 replacement Ade Akinbiyi can help to sharpen things up again at that end of the field.

In the meantime, they take solace in the fact these two gripping FA Cup ties have proved one thing - the gap between Burnley and Blackburn Rovers is narrowing.

Not that long ago, these two famous old clubs were poles apart and heading in the opposite direction.

Not any more.