Clarets striker Andy Cooke hit back at the doubters as he helped Burnley put their name in the hat for tonight's Worthington Cup second-round draw with his first goal of the season.

Cooke opened his account for the campaign as the Clarets lost 3-2 at Hartlepool United but still secured a 6-4 aggregate success.

And afterwards he admitted that comments about his recent goalscoring record have started to grate.

"It annoys me a bit when people say he's not scoring or whatever. But I'm always playing every week and making goals for others which is a main thing as well," he said.

Cooke has often been the foil for Andy Payton and last night joined Payton on the scoresheet with his first goal since netting against Millwall in the promotion run-in last season.

"At least I've got one now. Even though it's just in the cup it's a start and you can settle down now," he said.

"You don't really have it hanging over you as much and you can just get on with the game.

"But if another goal doesn't come straight away there's no need to panic, you just keep playing and as long as you keep getting in the side every week that's the way to look ahead."

Cooke feels his all-round game is in good shape and he certainly caused Hartlepool a host of problems.

But like all strikers he benefits from scoring and last night's clinical strike should give him a lift going into Saturday's First Division return at Crystal Palace when he will be hoping for more of the kind of service Glen Little laid on at Victoria Park.

He added: "It's always nice to get a goal. I thought I should have had a few more really. I had two headers that I should have put away but that's the way it goes and at least I'm starting to get chances.

"I get a bit frustrated when chances don't come my way and balls don't go in the box like they did last night.

"I think I took the hardest of my chances. I'm more disappointed with the chances I didn't score. When you get in those positions you should be hitting the target but as I said, at least I'm getting chances."

Burnley's assistant manager Sam Ellis insisted Cooke deserved his goal, which he felt could have been one of a few before Third Division Hartlepool took a shock lead.

Ellis said: "He worked his socks off and he deserved the goal he got.

"I thought we created chances and we could have been four or five up before anything had happened.

"Cookie had two headed chances and the one he scored and Phil Gray had a good chance before half-time so I was happy with the chances we created."

Tommy Miller equalised Cooke's effort with a twice-taken penalty before Lee Fitzpatrick put Pool ahead before the break.

Payton came off the bench again to make it 2-2 late on and although there was still time for Paul Stephenson to get a winner on the night, Burnley made it through to round two for the first time in three years.

"We wanted to get through to the next round. We've done that and we're happy to have done that," Ellis added.

Manager Stan Ternent was notable by his absence as he left team affairs to his assistant Ellis.

There was no word from the Clarets camp on Ternent's whereabouts but it appears likely that the manager may have taken the opportunity to watch another game and size up a potential transfer target.

The Clarets will be joined in tonight's draw, which will be televised live on Sky at around 10pm, by the first-round winners plus the Premiership clubs not involved in Europe and Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday.

Burnley reserves have an Avon Insurance League derby at home to Preston tonight (kick-off 7.15).

The squad is likely to include Nikolous Michopoulos, Micky Mellon, John Mullin, Ronnie Jepson, Alan Lee, Chris Brass, Gordon Armstrong and Brad Maylett.