MANAGERS will tell you there is something to learn in every game - even ones as fruitless as this.

And in Steve Cotterill's case, it might be well to treat the Carling Cup with the contempt some Premiership sides do in future years - if he has the players!

The competition has proved a double-edged sword for the Clarets this season, adding more games to the roster when the odd midweek break might have been more beneficial, but equally pouring vital funds into the club coffers.

How much of that estimated £250,000 Cotterill actually sees is now the million-dollar question.

However, the Burnley boss openly admits he is not expecting a cheque to arrive with his morning post over the coming days.

So, after overseeing an overcrowded treatment room and having little option but to name unfit players in his starting 11 and on the bench, there are no prizes for guessing which side of the fence the manager now sits.

Speaking immediately after Spurs' cruised to a 3-0 victory over Burnley, he insisted: "It's always a good learning curve when we get beat - for all of us.

"I've learned not to get this far in the League Cup!"

A statement borne of pure frustration, but diluted by pride at the way his patched-up team took on a mighty Premiership machine and so nearly threw a spanner in the works.

Oh for such a game to have been scheduled when the Clarets still had a fully-fit squad ready to do battle.

Sadly, it looks as if the rigours of the opening four months of the season are taking their toll.

In that time, there have been the two, fortnightly breaks allotted to every club in the top two divisions through international fixtures.

However, other than the enforced lack of action, the fact remains that Burnley have played a midweek game every single week bar one since the season began back in August.

The punishing schedule has been exacerbated by the progress made in the cup, something that, following Robbie Keane's brace and a Jermain Defoe wonder-strike, can now be put to bed until the FA Cup takes centre stage in the New Year.

And supporters can only hope that between now and Christmas, Cotterill can turn the routine seven-day gap between Championship games to his advantage by restoring a squad to full fitness.

Some of those fans will doubtless contest Cotterill's cup sentiments, insisting that success breathes new life into what might otherwise be a lacklustre league campaign.

But a disappointing Turf Moor crowd - just 10,639, including a healthy number from London - somewhat contradicts that.

Still, at least Burnley went down fighting in a mismatch of

epic proportions.

The Clarets fielded a side that cost around £1.3m to assemble, including one £1m player in lone striker Robbie Blake.

Spurs' £27m line-up included seven players who have cost more than £1m, among them England internationals Paul Robinson, Ledley King and Defoe, who cost seven times that amount.

Likewise strike partner Keane, who has incredibly amassed transfer fees totalling £38m since bursting onto the scene at Wolves in 1997.

That obscene amount was made to look all the more laughable two years ago when Keane wasted three one-on-ones in a third round League Cup tie at Turf Moor, which Burnley won 2-1.

But there was to be no repeat last night as dead-eye Keane delivered the first two blows to Cotterill's side before Defoe landed the knock-out punch.

Keane's timing was perfect from Spurs point of view after Burnley looked capable of upsetting the odds in a bright opening.

Just five minutes had gone when Blake found space on the left and lofted the ball into the box for Richard Duffy, whose side-foot was easy meat for England number one Robinson.

Blake then came within a whisker of scoring himself, controlling Tony Grant's free-kick in an instant, spinning Noureddine Naybet and sending an angled 18-yard effort inches wide with Robinson beaten.

Spurs had their own half-chances and plenty of possession, but with Lee Roche and Michael Duff excelling in defence alongside on-loan Aston Villa teenager Gary Cahill, also faultless on his senior debut, the home side continued to carve out the better opportunities.

Duffy might again have done better on the half hour when he glanced a six-yard header wide from Blake's inviting cross.

And that proved to be crucial just three minutes later when Keane cast off his Turf Moor demons with a sublime goal,

Classy Michael Carrick, making his first start since arriving at White Hart Lane last summer, broke down the right, checked and arrowed a magnificent ball in behind the Burnley back line that the inrushing Republic of Ireland striker couldn't miss - and didn't.

Grant forced Robinson into a smart instinctive save as Burnley came close to hitting straight back, and from the resulting corner Michael Duff again tested the Spurs stopper with a firm header.

But Blake missed arguably the best chance to level on the stroke of half time - and with it went Burnley's last realistic hope.

The Clarets skipper won a hanging ball, held off the Spurs defence in trademark fashion and cut inside, but then criminally failed to find the target from the edge of the box.

Within seven minutes of the restart, Spurs effectively wrapped up a quarter-final place.

This time Defoe sped down the left following a sublime piece of skill to keep the ball in play, and crossed in identical fashion to Carrick to provide Keane with his second.

That was Defoe's first major contribution of the night but his second left a lasting imprint on Turf Moor as, with 58 minutes gone, the England hitman picked the ball up 30 yards out and found the corner of the net in an instant.

In the end, Spurs £14m strike-force had made all the difference. Did we ever expect anything different?

THE STATS

ATT: 10,639

SPURS: Robinson, Naybet, Pamarot (Ifil 78), King, Kelly, Mendes (Davies 62), Brown, Carrick, Ziegler, Defoe, Keane (Kanoute 64).

Subs not used; Keller, Redknapp.

GOALS: Keane 32, 53, Defoe 58

REF: Graham Poll. 7

(No bookings)