Clarets trickster Glen Little ackowledges that the boot is firmly on the other foot as Burnley head for Hartlepool tonight.

And the on-song midfielder isn't complaining as he contemplates a place in the second round of the Worthington Cup for the first time in three years.

Burnley take a 4-1 first-leg lead up to the North East and anything other than comfortable progress would be a shock to register on the Richter scale.

And after losing 6-0 on aggregate to Manchester City last season, 5-2 to Bury the time before and 6-0 to Stoke City in 1997, that represents a welcome change of fortunes.

"Usually it's the other way round for us and we're going there four or five nil down. So it will be a bit strange but I'd like to think we'll be professional enough to go up there and finish the job off," said Little, who acknowledged that the Clarets name is virtually in the hat for round two.

"We'd like to think so, unless something stupid happens," he added.

It didn't look so clear-cut half-way through the first leg when the Third Division side held a deserved one-goal lead at Turf Moor.

But with Andy Payton and Graham Branch introduced to the fray and Little starting to weave his magic, the Hartlepool defence was cut to ribbons.

"At first I did think it would be quite a difficult tie and it was looking like that at half-time," Little confessed.

"Luckily we did well in the end to get four and I think that has given us the cushion now."

That second-half blast has surely ended the contest and Little is preparing for a low-key affair where the Clarets will just be looking to finish what they've started.

He added: "It will be a strange game. I wouldn't think there'll be more than 50 people there so it will be a strange atmosphere.

"We want to go there and get it out of the way really, and see who we get in the next round."

Although Hartlepool's hopes were dashed by Payton's hat-trick, former Burnley striker Kevin Henderson insists Pool still have plenty to play for as they look to find some home form.

Since losing at Turf Moor, Chris Turner's side have been held 0-0 by Cheltenham and then beaten 3-1 on Saturday by Shrewsbury Town at their Victoria Park home.

"The main thing is that we don't hide and just say that's that. We've got to show, if nothing else, that we don't give up.

"The supporters were disappointed on Saturday but more than anything else, the players were disappointed.

"We want to show them that it does matter to us," Henderson said.

On their first-half showing in the first leg, Pool would look to be serious promotion challengers in Division Three with Henderson and the experienced Anth Lormor spearheading the attack.

And, although admitting that Payton and Branch had changed the first game, Henderson feels tonight's second leg could have been taking on a different look.

He added: "I think we showed that we could play, we just couldn't sustain it. But I suppose that's the difference between the Third and the First Divisions."