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But there was to be no trophy as two goals in extra time ended the Clarets hopes of winning the competition for the first time in nine years.
The Clarets started well but the first to make a real impact on the game was Cumbria referee Mike Pike when he incredibly reduced both teams to ten with little over ten minutes gone.
Darrell Avery fouled Oldham's Daniel Lorde. There was no doubt that the challenge was late and high but certainly did not hurt the Oldham player. Had that been the end of it then maybe Avery would have been booked and the game would have continued.
However, Lorde run up to Avery and pushed him over and gave the referee no option whatsoever but to send him off. Incredibly though Pike first sent Avery off for the foul, an action he clearly would not have taken without the retaliation.
That wasn't all though as Lorde chased after Avery and confronted the distraught Claret in front of the tunnel.
The game settled down after that although the first half was somewhat scrappy with both defences well on top. There were few opportunities alhough Michael Hale was forced into action when Oldham broke clear. He did more than enough to prevent them getting a shot in.
At the other end most of our good play was coming down the left where Tom Ince was enjoying himself and giving the full back a torrid time but we weren't able to profit from his work.
Oldham got on top on the early stages of the second half and Hale came to the rescue a couple of times. But the back four generally looked in good form with the central pairing of Ryan Townsend and Neal Trotman again playing superbly.
It all changed with a double substitution and in particular Cayne Hanley replacing Kyle Lafferty up front. The Irish youngster Lafferty had struggled but Hanley was to give the Oldham defence a difficult time and their only way of stopping him was to foul him.
That mattered not, the assistant wasn't going to spoil his night and get a decision right and allowed it all to go unchecked.
It now looked as if it would be the Clarets if anyone who would win it but it remained goalless and we were set for extra time.
As the first half of extra time drew close the impressive Ince came close to scoring but Oldham keeper Treacey, their best player by some distance, brilliantly tipped it over.
Disaster struck right on half time in extra time when a corner fell kindly for them and Jason Taylor hammered in.
Try as they might there was to be no equaliser during the last fifteen minutes and as we pushed to try and get it Oldham inevitably got a second to clinch victory with a 2-0 lead.
As the final whistle blew the heads of the young Clarets dropped with disappointment but they got a superb reception from the home crowd after giving their all for 120 minutes and with any good luck at all would have won it.
They had no reason to drop their heads, they had done us all proud with a fantastic show. It is perhaps unfair to single anyone out but Tom Ince had a stormer. He limped off ten minutes from the end to an ovation from the crowd that he won't forget in a long time.
Last night though they were all heroes - well played lads.
The teams were:
Burnley: Michael Hale, Gary Carter, Ryan Townsend, Neal Trotman, Danny Pitham, Marc Pugh, Darrell Avery, Joe Booth (Nicky Platt 68), Tom Ince (Adam Jones 112), Alex Taylor, Kyle Lafferty (Cayne Hanley 68). Subs not used: Mark Crossley, Rob Henry.
Oldham: Tracey, Armstrong, Lomax, Forde, Lever, Taylor, Lee, Wolfenden (Hampson 81), Hall (Walker 72), Barlow, Taylor (Jacobs 56). Subs not used: Booth, Eardley.
Referee: Mike Pike (Cumbria).
Attendance: 914.