TERRY PASHLEY refused to look for excuses after seeing his Burnley Youth Team beaten 5-0 at Stockport County last weekend.

A hugely inexperienced Clarets side, most of who have also been playing reserve team football this season, surrendered four goals in the first hour as weariness set in.

But coach Pashley is refusing to get downhearted as he looks to toughen his young guns up for the future.

He said: "This is one of the youngest sides I've had since I've been here and we are like an under 17s side in an under 19s league.

"They have been playing twice a week since the start of the season, but sometimes age is no excuse.

"It has been a bit of a culture shock coming from schoolboy football into professional football, where every mistake you make gets punished.

"But in the long term, all this experience - good or bad - you have to take.

"I have to make sure they don't let their heads get down and keep doing the right things, and if they do that things will eventually change."

The Clarets went two goals down early on to County and only really came to life after the home side had made it 4-0 just after the hour.