Burnley 1-1 MK Dons (4-3 pens): Clarets keep their cool in shootout

Burnley 1-1 MK Dons (4-3 on pens AET): Clarets keep their cool in the shootout after Matej Vydra’s stoppage time equaliser saved the Premier League side from defeat at Turf Moor

  • Burnley beat League One MK Dons after penalty shootout in FA Cup third round 
  • Cameron Jerome headed MK Dons into the lead midway through the first half 
  • Richard Keogh had a straight red card for handball rescinded after a VAR review
  • Burnley sub Matej Vydra popped up with a 94th minute equaliser for extra time 

Burnley avoided a second FA Cup giantkilling in five seasons but needed an injury-time equaliser plus penalties to eliminate League One’s MK Dons.

It would not have been as chastening as the fifth-round exit to non-league Lincoln in the 2016-17 competition but a side 44 rungs below them in English football’s ladder came within seconds of inflicting humiliation upon them after veteran Cameron Jerome showed them how to finish at Turf Moor.

But a match which saw MK Dons manager Russell Martin sent off, defender Richard Keogh reprieved from a similar fate by a VAR check and substitute Matej Vydra level in the final seconds of injury time was settled when Phil Bardsley drilled low into the corner to leave visiting goalkeeper Lee Nicholls motionless.

Burnley needed a penalty shootout to overcome League One opposition MK Dons

Phil Bardsley scored the winning spot kick as the Premier League side won 4-3 at the end 

Burnley stopper Will Norris made a crucial save against Lasse Sorensen in the shootout

Typically on an afternoon of much drama, Burnley trailed 2-1 in the shoot-out after Vydra missed their opening kick.

In truth, they should have finished things much sooner yet went behind to a move of real quality just shy of the half hour and never really recovered.

Stephen Walker jinked his way down the left channel to open up a crossing opportunity and Jerome seized on Scott Fraser’s flick on to plant a diving header back across debutant goalkeeper Will Norris and into the far corner.

In contrast to that sharp finish from the League One club’s only presentable chance, Burnley missed a raft of opportunities during the first 45 minutes.

Lee Nicholls has been restricted to cup appearances in the past three months but showed he had lost none of his sharpness for it, with his first save inside the first 60 seconds – tipping over a header from Ashley Barnes.

Nicholls should not have been given a chance in the 11th minute when Barnes robbed Dean Lewington on halfway following a clearance from a Dons corner, raced clear and rounded the keeper, only for a desperate flick of a glove to dispossess the striker in the process of shooting.

Barnes also cushioned a volley into Nicholls’ midriff and Keogh flew headlong to re-direct a Chris Wood drive for a corner as the chances kept coming for Dyche’s team. 

Cameron Jerome headed League One MK Dons into the lead midway through the first period

Milton Keynes defender Richard Keogh was shown a straight red card for handball in first half

However, referee Jon Moss rescinded the red card after a VAR review on the pitch side monitor

And they really should have been level by the break: James Tarkowski somehow failed to turn the ball into an empty net despite having two stabs at the far post after a typically effective set-piece header across goal from Ben Mee, slicing the first attempt and striking the upright from the second while Wood wastefully headed wide at the far post on the stroke of half-time to waste Phil Bardsley’s inch-perfect cross.

They thought they would be a man up by the interval, though, when referee Jonathan Moss dismissed Keogh for a deliberate handball on halfway.

The astonishment on the former Republic of Ireland defender’s face told a story, however, as Moss was persuaded to view the VAR monitor by his colleague Anthony Taylor.

Replays clearly showed that although contact between the ball and Keogh’s hand had taken place, it had only done so due to a tug on his arm in an aerial challenge with Wood.

The theatrical episode concluded when Moss addressed Keogh on the touchline and brandished a second red card before waving his arms to show it was being annulled.

Matej Vydra popped up with a 94th minute equaliser to send the match to extra time

Two reds didn’t necessarily make a right in terms of the protocols but the correct decision was made to keep parity in the playing numbers.

Cruelly, Keogh’s next big involvement came in the dying embers of normal time when an aerial challenge with Burnley substitute Joel Mumbongo bobbled the ball into the six-yard box, from where Vydra squeezed it home.

Martin could not conceal his frustration at the softness of the free-kick that led to the equaliser – Fraser penalised for checking Bardsley – and was forced to direct his team from the stands for the extra period after Moss took exception to his comment at the full-time whistle.

Ben Gladwin struck the outside of the post with a long-range strike that could have settled things in MK Dons’ favour in the first half of the extra 30 minutes but was one of two to have their efforts from 12 yards repelled by Norris before Bardsley had the last word.

MATCH FACTS AND RATINGS

Burnley (4-4-2): Norris 7; Bardsley 7.5, Tarkowski 6.5, Mee 6.5, Pieters 7; Gudmundsson 6 (Glennon 83, 5.5), Cork 6.5 (Benson 72, 6), Stephens 6.5, Brady 7.5* (Lowton 99, 5.5); Wood 5.5 (Vydra 77, 7), Barnes 6 (Mumbongo 83, 6)

Subs: Pope, Thomas, Gomez, Nartey

Manager: Sean Dyche 6

Booked: Pieters 114, Bardsley 119

MK Dons (3-1-4-2): Nicholls 9*; Williams 7.5 (Laird 61, 8), Keogh 7, Lewington 6; Sorensen 8; Poole 7, Gladwin 7, Fraser 7.5, Harvie 7 (Sorinola 68, 6); Walker 7.5 (Mason 61, 5.5), Jerome 7.5 (Johnson 82, 6)

Subs: Fisher, Davies, Jallow, Bailey, Smith

Manager: Russell Martin 7

Booked: Fraser 90

Sent off: Martin 90

Referee: Jon Moss 5

 




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