THREE youngsters from the Clarets School of Excellence have been invited for advanced coaching at Lilleshall.

Stephen Hall, Jay Rodriguez and Chris Smalley have been selected from the Under 14 group with a view to representing England at Under 15 level next season.

In addition a fourth player, Jack Overson, has been placed on stand-by.

The advanced sessions will be taken by Paul Bracewell, Tony Parkes and Ray Clemence and youth team boss Terry Pashley admitted: "It will be a great experience for the young lads.

"We are also thinking about sending someone down with them so they can have a look at what they do down there and we might learn something ourselves.

"There are about 50 lads called up and most of them come from the big football academies at Premiership clubs. We have been told that only 11 have come from centres of excellence so it is great that three of them are from our club."

It was not such good news for Pashley on Saturday morning as Burnley's young players suffered a setback with a 2-0 defeat at Rochdale.

He explained: "It was a poor game played on a poor pitch in poor conditions and we were very poor.

"It was certainly dour and there was not much to entertain any of the spectators. We again gave away a couple of bad goals and that meant we lost a match we should have won.

"Young Danny Pitham did okay at right back and Ryan Townsend, another 16-year-old was also okay in the centre of defence but there weren't many positives.

"We will certainly have to be better at Tranmere Rovers this Saturday because they have a good side."

One of the other few plus points was the return from injury of influential midfielder Joel Pilkington after his groin injury.

"He had no reaction after the game and should be available for the reserves tonight if selected."

A number of Pashley's young players will expect to be back on duty for Ronnie Jepson's side tonight as they take on Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park.

It is four weeks since the reserves last played and, with Stan Ternent's resources continuing to be stretched, a youthful look to the team appears certain.