THE FA Cup doesn't throw up many surprises any more. It's a sign of how much the gap between the top dogs and the underdogs has grown that Sheffield United not even a top flight side were the highest placed team to exit the third round on Saturday.

It's an era where the massive clubs aren't supposed to value the competition, but even when they play below strength sides they've still got enough to avoid embarrassing upsets and leave all romantic neutrals feeling deeply unfulfilled.

So in this competition, it's difficult to know where to go if you want to see genuine shock.

But on Saturday, Pride Park wouldn't have been a bad option, as after the game it was etched into Steve Cotterill's face.

He was right to look like that too, as how his Burnley side didn't cement their place in the fourth round draw was beyond most people's explanation.

It came down, as so many games do, to taking chances. Paul Peschisolido finished both of his, while Ade Akinbiyi missed a couple of sitters that would have ensured the Canadian wasn't the matchwinner.

Such occurrences sum up the one-off nature of FA Cup ties.

Akinbiyi went into the game as the Championship's top scorer, whereas Peschisolido was celebrating just being picked to start. After all, this hadn't happened since the end of October.

Their fortunes remained as different throughout the game, but it was the Derby man who was smiling on this occasion he probably hasn't got as lucky since pulling the Birmingham City managing director.

Peschisolido only opened the scoring on 18 minutes because his shot hit Wade Elliott's boot and sent the ball sailing over a stranded Brian Jensen.

And although he didn't need the help of a deflection to lift the ball over the Burnley keeper for the 66th minute winning goal, it later emerged that his sublime chip wasn't as assured as it seemed.

Although Cotterill was fooled along with the majority of spectators, he later revealed that Peschisolido wasn't actually going for goal.

"A deflection's gone over Brian for the first goal so there's not much he can do about that, and with the second goal, Peschisolido's gone to cross it," said Cotterill.

"From where I was sat it looked like magnificent finish, but it didn't make it any worse when John McGreal told me that Paul told him he'd gone to cross it."

Akinbiyi was sadly lacking similar fortune in his quest to add to the 14 he already has this season.

Seconds before the Clarets first went behind they should have been in front but 42-year-old Kevin Poole showed time-defying agility to turn away Akinbiyi's effort as he lay on the ground.

Then Burnley, who had to rely on the long range brilliance of Garreth O'Connor when they did eventually score, could have taken the lead in the second half when Akinbiyi slid in to meet Wade Elliott's cross but somehow sliced it wide.

But Cotterill's shell-shocked expression at the final whistle wasn't just because his side missed sitters, it was also due to them not taking full advantage of their overall dominance.

Derby barely had the ball as the hard-working five in the Clarets midfield were first to everything and, after winning possession, were confident and assured in laying it off and spraying it about.

In the period between O'Connor's equaliser and County's second, Burnley dominated in a way that suggested there would only be one winner.

Nothing much happened until the 17th minute, when the game suddenly burst into life thanks to the incredible incident that led to the opening goal.

Akinbiyi's first effort was blocked by Marc Edworthy, then Poole could only parry the follow-up shot by Chris McCann straight to the Clarets hitman.

But after Simon Royce's sensational stop from Akinbiyi at Loftus Road last Monday, he was thwarted by the impossible again as Poole somehow found an Inspector Gadget-style extended limb to turn away the striker's tap-in.

And he wasn't finished there as he caught the resultant corner and threw it out to Peschisolido, who sprinted down the inside left channel.

Although Elliott did well to catch him up and get a foot to the shot, he only diverted it into the far corner of the net.

It was a sickening blow, but the heads didn't drop and Burnley bounced back off the canvas to get back in a contest they were winning comfortably on points.

Elliott and McCann had efforts that went close before Garreth O'Connor steamed forward in the 29th minute and hit a 25-yard drive that fizzed past Poole into the bottom corner.

If Akinbiyi thought he was having a bad day in front of goal, John McGreal can probably provide a good shoulder to cry on as he also failed to find the net despite getting highest to meet four set pieces.

He only managed to direct one on goal, which Poole comfortably collected, and as Burnley searched for an equaliser late on, the home defence seemed to have become wise to the centre half's penalty area prowess and appeared to unite to throw him to the floor.

However, hollering for penalties was never a situation Burnley should have been in given the gilt-edged chance Akinbiyi was presented with just before the hour mark.

A piece of neat interplay down the right involving James O'Connor and Elliott led to the latter pulling it back for Akinbiyi but, with the goal gaping again, he slipped and sliced it well wide of the target.

Burnley continued to press forward for a winner but this still left them vulnerable to the type of counter attack that stung them in the opening half.

Inigo Idiakez finally lived up to his dangerman tag and showed himself to be far more effective when not throwing himself to the floor at the merest of contact. The Pole carried the ball from one third of the field to the other and laid in the perfect pass for Peschisolido to run on to and lob Jensen.

Although there was still 24 minutes for Burnley, they never regained the same ascendancy and waved a rather tame, if underserved, goodbye to this year's cup adventure.