Burnley 5-1 Millwall: Five-star FA Cup display ends long wait for a win
Burnley cruised into the next round of the FA Cup with a comfortable win over Millwall - their first victory in any competition in 77 days.
Scott Parker’s side banished their Premier League struggles to put their high-flying Championship opponents to the sword.
The damage was done in the first-half, where the Clarets scored three goals from three shots on target - Ashley Barnes, Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony the men to convert.
The second half was a mere formality, with Barnes adding further gloss to the victory with a second, completing his first brace since his derby double against Blackburn in 2022.
Jaydon Banel then added a fifth in the final minute in what was his first goal for the club, while Millwall added a consolation right at the death.
Despite making eight changes from the midweek draw with Manchester United, Parker was still able to name a relatively strong starting XI.
Maxime Esteve, Josh Laurent and Lesley Ugochukwu were the three to keep their places, while the likes of Max Weiss, Oliver Sonne and Ashley Barnes were all handed rare starts. Parker even named a strong bench, with no youngsters involved.
Joe Worrall, Mike Tresor and Zian Flemming remain out, while Jordan Beyer, Connor Roberts, Josh Cullen and Zeki Amdouni are all long-term injury concerns.
As for Millwall, they made six changes from their 2-1 win against Swansea City in their last league outing.
The game got underway in front of a sparsely filled Turf Moor, giving the encounter a pre-season feel such was the lack of atmosphere.
Burnley made a bright start to proceedings, with Jaidon Anthony seeing a shot blocked inside the opening 90 seconds.
The opening exchanges were otherwise fairly lifeless, with neither side able to get much going.
But that all changed in the 11th minute when the Clarets took the lead out of nowhere thanks to a cleverly constructed move.
Jaidon Anthony started it off with a reverse pass into Jacob Bruun Larsen, who immediately pulled back for Ashley Barnes to steer home from close range.
It was a first goal since March of last year for the 36-year-old, who was also making his first start of the campaign.
The visitors briefly threatened an equaliser when Aidomo Emakhu broke through down the left but his tame effort was easily saved by Weiss.
Bruun Larsen, the provider of Burnley’s opener, almost became the goalscorer when his shot was blocked after space had opened up for him inside the box, latching onto Loum Tchaouna’s through ball.
The Lions almost levelled out of nowhere midway through the half when big centre back Jake Cooper looped a header towards the top corner, but Weiss pulled off an excellent save to claw it away to safety.
The Burnley keeper faced another header from the same Millwall man a few minutes later, but this save was far more routine with Cooper heading straight at him.
Just as Millwall were beginning to enjoy their real first spell of pressure of the game, Burnley appeared to put the game out of sight with a second.
Loum Tchaouna was the man to get it, beating Steven Benda at his near post with a drilled effort on his weak foot. The chance was actually created by Hjalmar Ekdal, who made a darting run into the Millwall box before teeing up the French winger.
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Tchaouna could have had another one with better composure, blazing over after being picked out by Quilindschy Hartman.
Burnley emerged unchanged for the second half, almost adding a fourth when Barnes’ looping header nearly creeped in at the near post.
At the other end, Maxime Esteve was on hand to make an important block just as space opened up inside the box for Thierno Ballo.
Esteve’s countryman Tchaouna gave within a whisker of a second goal, clipping the outside of the post with a rasping drive from just outside the box.
If ever the result was ever in doubt, Burnley put the game beyond Millwall with a fourth midway through the second half.
Barnes was the man to get it again, capitalising on some poor defending to steer home from close range after being set up by Anthony - taking down Bruun Larsen’s chipped ball over the top with a delicious touch before playing the ball across the face of goal.
Barnes was in the right place at the right time to take advantage once again, notching his first brace since THAT double in the derby against Blackburn in November 2022.
The striker was clearly desperate to complete his hat-trick - something he’s never achieved during his long career - and he almost got it when he directed a header towards goal - although the linesman’s flag soon went up.
A fifth goal did arrive in the final minute of normal time courtesy of substitute Jaydon Banel, who capitalised on more woeful Millwall defending to slam home from close range - netting his first Burnley goal.
Four minutes of stoppage time came and went without Barnes completing his hat-trick, although Millwall did grab a consolation right at the death when Josh Coburn scooped the ball over the onrushing Weiss after Hannibal had been dispossessed.
TEAMS
Burnley: Weiss, Sonne, Ekdal, Esteve, Hartman, Laurent (Florentino), Ugochukwu (Hannibal), Tchaouna, Bruun Larsen (Banel), Anthony, Barnes
Subs not used: Hladky, Humphreys, Tuanzebe, Pires, Edwards, Broja
Millwall: Benda, Cooper, Leonard (McNamara), Emakhu, Bryan, Grant, Bangura-Williams, Ballo (Lamptey), Mitchell (Howland), Doughty (Matthews), Langstaff (Coburn)
Subs not used: Coleman, Sturge, Kendall, Harding
Referee: Anthony Backhouse
Attendance: 6,856
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