STAN Ternent acknowledged that old pal Dennis Wise lived up to his surname to help steer Millwall into the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The Lions player-boss was at the centre of several controversial incidents throughout a sometimes brutal fifth round clash.

Wise was most notably involved in the incident that saw Burnley substitute Paul Weller sent off just three minutes after Danny Dichio had made the vital breakthrough.

But Ternent refused to condemn Wise for his acute role in the Clarets' FACup downfall.

He said: "I don't know as much as other people do in their jobs and I wouldn't profess to.

"But at the same time, I wouldn't expect them to maybe know much about the tricks of the trade in this game, as Dennis and I do.

"With all due respect, I wouldn't expect the referee to either - and either he let a lot go or he doesn't understand it.

"But Dennis is a good friend of mine and I say all that, hopefully, in the right and proper way and I know he will take it that way.

"He is a fantastic footballer and a fantastic lad. I think the world of him and I wish him and Millwall well in the next round."

Ternent accepted the blood and thunder cup tie was a throwback to bygone years. But he was at a loss to explain Alan Moore's horrendous last-gasp miss from point-blank range, which would have earned his side a replay.

He said: "Football is a contact sport and this would just be a normal match perhaps 10 or 15 years ago.

"Now, the physical contact isn't as prevalent in the game as it used to be. But it was a match in the last 16 of the premier cup competition in the world and there's a big prize at stake, so you expect people to be up for it.

"If it's fair and square, then okay and it was just not our day.

"We had had three, maybe four fantastic opportunities to score and get them back to Turf Moor. The first was a claim for a penalty early in the game and then Ian (Moore) was through one-on-one and the keeper made a good save.

"Glen (Little) then got through and the defender got back to make a tackle, and of course Alan had that opportunity at the end.

"That was probably the best of the game and I just couldn't believe it. I think I'd have scored it!"

That chance came after Ternent had been forced to go for broke in a breathless finale that also saw the exposed Brian Jensen made a series of top class saves.

And after praising the Danish keeper for almost saving Burnley's bacon,Ternent reflected on a sizzling cup run that has at least gone some way to feeding the Clarets current cash crisis.

He said: "When they scored, I had to change things around and our goalkeeper played fantastically well in that last period.

"But I didn't think the last 10 or 15 minutes gave a true reflection of the game because we were trying to salvage something.

"Sadly, it didn't happen, but as a club we do not budget for cup runs and we have made a couple of hundred grand this year.

"I'm happy we've made that, but I am absolutely naffed off because it could have been more."