FURIOUS Jimmy Mullen made a public apology to the Turf Moor fans today after the miserable FA Cup first round FA Cup exit at the hands of Walsall.

The Burnley chief blasted the Clarets display following the 3-1 debacle and admitted: "I'm sorry we played so badly."

Mullen said: "I feel for the fans because those people out there deserve a lot more than we delivered against Walsall.

"They've had to fork out for three games in a week. It was an expensive seven days for them and we serve up a performance like that.

"They showed their frustration at times and I perfectly understand that.

"We were very poor and the supporters had every right to feel short-changed.

"We simply never performed.

"It breaks my heart to see us playing like that. It really hurts me inside.

"I just will not accept displays like that." He added: "What makes the thing so hard to stomach is that we played so badly just 10 days after we had performed so thoroughly professionally at Peterborough.

"We've had a really good run in the league and now this happens. It is is difficult to put your finger on it really."

Mullen saw Walsall dominate the tie to book their place in tomorrow's draw with a couple of deadly second half strikes.

He added: "The manner in which we lost the game was very hard to take.

"To go out of the FA Cup in front of your own fans at the first hurdle is so terribly disappointing.

"We had too many players out there lacking confidence and who simply did not perform. It showed through with our overall performance.

"The players can make no excuses for that display. Hopefully we can learn a lesson from this.

"We all so much wanted to do well in the FA Cup and now we are out. "But what I can promise the fans is that we will back in training on Monday to re-double our efforts to try and win promotion.

"We have got to gear ourselves up and bounce back from this major disappointment."

Meanwhile, midfielder Adrian Randall was given the all-clear today after he was taken off with a suspected broken leg against Walsall.

Randall was carried off mid-way through the first half and taken to hospital for a cautionary X-ray.

It was feared Randall had broken his right leg.

But the X-rays revealed major bruising to his shin - but thankfully no fracture. "I feared the worst for the lad," added Mullen.

"But he is OK and should be back in training at some stage next week.

Warren Joyce will be eligible for next weekend's clash at Shrewsbury after serving the last of a three game ban against Walsall.

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