TONIGHT'S Carling Cup clash pits Burnley against Aston Villa for the first time in 28 years.

February 1976 was the last time the two sides did battle, with Villa ironically the current League Cup holders that season - having beaten Norwich 1-0 the previous May.

The Turf Moor game ended 2-2, with Brian Flynn getting both goals for the Clarets and Ray Graydon and Andy Gray replaying for the visitors.

It turned out to be a miserable year for Jimmy Adamson's Clarets, who won just nine games that season to finish 21st and slip out of Division One for the last time ahead of a slow decline in the subsequent years.

Villa, meanwhile, were competing in the UEFA Cup as a result of an amazing transformation of fortunes under manager Ron Saunders.

He took charge in 1974 and not only steered the second division club to League Cup success after 12 months in charge, but also promotion back to the top flight.

From that point, the two clubs became polarised, with Burnley tumbling quickly through the divisions at one end of the scale, while Villa went on to become European Cup winners in 1981.

Here are the teams from that last meeting, on February 28, 1976.

BURNLEY

Alan Stevenson

Derek Scott

Keith Newton

Billy Rodaway

Colin Waldron

Jim Thomson

Colin Morris

Ray Hankin

Paul Fletcher

Brian Flynn

Mick Summerbee

ASTON VILLA

John Burridge

John Gidman

John Robson

Charlie Aitken

John Overton

Leighton Phillips

Ray Graydon

Brian Little

Andy Gray

Bob McDonald

Frank Carrodus