Scott Parker not getting too down despite Burnley's lacklustre defeat to Aston Villa

While the Clarets boss admitted Villa were worthy of their 2-1 win, he remained pleased with how competitive his side were.

The visitors struggled to create much though and were left wide open for both of Donyell Malen’s goals, which came after Burnley had switched off at the back.

While Lesley Ugochukwu’s header set up a tense finish, Burnley were unable to snatch an unlikely point.

“On reflection, it’s probably a fair result,” Parker said.

“I feel the same as what I’ve felt over the last few weeks. I thought we were hugely competitive.

“We lacked in certain areas, but that’s to be expected at certain times against a very, very good side.

“Certainly the first goal you can accept, although there's a little bit of an element which we're at fault for, but you can accept the quality that you're up against. Sometimes it can be that deadly that they can go and finish.

“The second goal really is on us though. We're down to 10 men at that moment. Our understanding in that moment, our lack of maybe game management at that moment, what the game needed when we're down to 10 men.

“They score a second and we give ourselves a real big, big uphill task from that point. It's fair to say the big positive after that is we get a goal back and then we're really in the ascendancy.”

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Frustratingly for Burnley, Villa’s first goal came at a period in the game where the visitors were beginning to enjoy some control.

But one simple pass through the middle of the park opened them wide up and Malen did the rest.

“We set up differently and decided to go a bit more aggressive, certainly in the first phase in terms of the high press and set some triggers and I thought we started the game really, really well,” Parker added.

“Of course, you come to a place where you’re facing a very, very good team and they have their moments, but the goal comes at probably a bad point for us.

“We work our way back into it without really creating too much and that's partly us, what we could do better with, but also give respect to the team and the players and the personnel we're playing up against.”

The Clarets, who remain in the bottom three, now take a break for two weeks for the October international window, before returning with a big home clash against Leeds United.

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