[themaclad]

Burnley F.A.CUP
Deepdale 1/3/2025 12.15 hrs

Dingles again the joy



PART 2



LAST ROUND FOR BURNLEY





First ever F A Cup meeting between the sides


The Fitness Test

Mads Frøkjær, who missed last weekend's defeat to Coventry, is a doubt for this FA Cup clash.

Long-term absentee Ben Whiteman has made further steps in his recovery from injury, although this match will come too soon.

Duane Holmes, Jack Whatmough and Jordan Storey all remain sidelined.

The Clarets

It’s only been two weeks since these two met in Sky Bet Championship action, in a game which ended goalless at Deepdale.

Since then, the Clarets have played only once and that was an emphatic 4-0 victory at Turf Moor over Sheffield Wednesday, keeping them well in the race for automatic promotion.

Scott Parker has opted to rotate his team in the previous two rounds of this competition, in victories away from home against Reading and Southampton.

The Officials

Referee: John Brooks
Assistant Referees: Simon Bennett and Daniel Robathan
Fourth Official: Andrew Madley
VAR: Tim Robinson
Assistant VAR: Marc Perry
Support VAR: Paul Tierney

It's a day for the history books on Saturday as VAR will be in operation for the first time ever at Deepdale, with the system in place across all eight fifth round ties.

Premier League referee John Brooks will be the main official at Deepdale, with his last North End fixture being back in September 2021.

Brooks, who also officiates in European competitions, has shown 107 yellow cards in 21 matches.

VAR

8 hour game then

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom is looking forward to a “special” game at Deepdale and hopes the PNE fans are as excited as he is.

North End are just a win away from the FA Cup quarter-finals and two steps from Wembley, with a tough tie against Lancashire rivals Burnley standing in their way on Saturday.

The Lilywhites have already made the most of home advantage in the two previous rounds, against Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers, and they’ll be hoping to do the same this weekend.


Hecky said: “It's a special game. We want to progress as far as we can in the cup and although we want to win every game, the FA Cup generates its own excitement and potentially big things.

“I welcome it if people are thinking it's a big game. I want it to feel like a big game. I'm looking forward to it. I'm certainly looking forward to the atmosphere, to the occasion.

“I hope the fans are as excited about it as me. What I'd say to them is you need to be here to be part of the journey, otherwise you'll not know. If you are there at the weekend and we win, then you'll be waiting just like us to see what's next.

“I think, again, that's different. It's that different feeling. You should welcome it and enjoy it. I think only when you do that do you really get what you can possibly get out of the FA Cup.

“It is different. I love all the cup competitions, but the FA Cup is different to the League Cup.”

It’ll be the third time this season and the second time in the space of two weeks that North End have taken on the Clarets.


The points were shared in both of those matches and the gaffer is expecting that it’ll be another tight affair at Deepdale, especially given what’s at stake.

Hecky said: “I felt we shaded the first and they shaded the second. If both teams are on top of their game again, it'll be fine margins again that decide this.

“We’ve got to make sure that we approach the game really well and be better in one or two areas. Although I was really pleased with the level of performance against them in the last game a couple of weeks ago, I feel like we missed one or two opportunities to really make the game difficult for them.

“That's what we need to focus on, while still getting everything else right, because we got so many things right in that game against a top team. They’re showing that week in, week out in the league.

“We know we have to make it as difficult as possible for them to create opportunities against what's been an unbelievable defensive team throughout the season.”

PARKER

Clarets boss eyeing up FA Cup Quarter Final spot

Head Coach Scott Parker is relishing the opportunity of his side potentially reaching the Emirates FA Cup Quarter-Finals on Saturday, but is well aware of the test his side will face coming up against Preston North End.

The Clarets have played out two goalless draws this season in the Sky Bet Championship with the Lilywhites, but there has to be a winner this weekend when Burnley travel to Deepdale in the fifth round of the competition.

Speaking to the media on Thursday ahead of the Lancashire derby, Parker highlighted the importance of continuing the momentum and fine run of form and that the 'main aim' is to head to Preston and progress into the next round.

The Burnley boss said: "Look, we're looking forward to it. There's an opportunity there for us to reach an FA Cup Quarter-Final, but we know we are coming up against really good opposition.

"It's about continuing that momentum now and the main aim for us this weekend is going there, getting into the next round and progressing into the quarter-finals.

"We also know that they will be thinking the exact same and looking to reach the next round too, but the cup can bring special moments and that's what this competition brings, so we'll see where it takes us."


The competition has provided an opportunity for Parker to rotate his squad this season and look to utilise players to get minutes into them and there will be a chance for that again this weekend, admitted the Clarets chief.

"Everyone is working really hard to get minutes and get into the team. The boys that have come into the side when called upon have been amazing and done very well, so full credit to them.

"It's another good opportunity to get minutes into players and get them match-ready, because I know how quickly things can change in football and I know all these boys could play every week, but in football you can only pick 11 players."

The FA Cup is a competition recognised around the globe and Parker spoke about the 'magical' memories he has of the competition from growing up as a youngster.

"When I was growing up it was the biggest thing, waking up on FA Cup final day and watching the team buses leave the hotel and all the coverage of it was magical.

"I used to love it, sat in front of the TV all day watching the build-up, the game and the trophy presentation."

MACS VIEW

Never been to the 6th round simple as that

[themaclad]

Preston North End 3 Brady, Osmajic, Keane Burnley 0

Attendance: 17,761 (5,646 Burnley fans).

Referee: Mr J Brooks.

Well it was a convincing win against the Clarets apparently beat their B team even though virtually the same team had beaten Southampton away in the last round. First time in the quarter finals since 1966 all that is required now is a home draw.
Decent crowd on a nearly warm spring day. Claret players refused to shake hands with Osmajic after the alleged comments in the last game two weeks ago.
Little to enthuse in the early stages very cagey start, Burnley probably the better, Koleosho caused us problems, but we defended well with the surprise of KKH playing centre back worked a treat, to be honest he ould play between the sticks he is quality.
Took the lead on the half hour, free kick, Brady left foot from 25 yards no problem. They were unlucky not to immediately draw lwvwl Koleosho narrowly across the face of the goal and Woodman also went on a walkabout which nearly cost us.
Two up just before the break, Ledson starting the move by getting hit in the face with the ball, the ball rebounded to Potts who passed behind the Burnley defence and Osmajic buries it 2 nil, celebtrates in front of the away support. Again they coud have scored alost immediately but we just about cleared the danger.
Should have been three almost stright after the restart, quick break KKH buried it into the crowd instead of the net. Substitutes from the Clarets, one of them Flemming nearly reduced the arears good save by Wooman.
Then the third, Thor left footed 60 yards pass, Hughes two touches second into six yard box, Keane applied the finish, glorious goal.
Riis could have made it four but stumbled when trying to take the ball round the keeper, didn't matter one match from the Arch.

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom felt his side put in a “really strong performance” in the 3-0 victory over Burnley in the Emirates FA Cup.

North End were brilliant against their Lancashire rivals at Deepdale in the fifth round tie, with the win earning a spot in the quarter-finals.

The goals came courtesy of Robbie Brady and Milutin Osmajić in the first half, before Will Keane put the icing on the cake in the 73rd minute.


Hecky said: “We’ve played like that in a few games, but maybe drawn as well, so the difference is the goals.

“Robbie set us off with a fantastic goal and Milly, his composure, makes it 2-0. What that does, it means the opposition's got to change. They take more chances, we defended unbelievably well and then we can exploit the gaps at the other end so we could have won by more so it was a really, really strong performance and that's the importance of getting those goals.”

It was a highly-anticipated Lancashire derby given what was at stake, and Brady got PNE going with a stunning left-footed free-kick.

Osmajić made it two before the break and then Keane wrapped things up, tapping home Andrew Hughes’ cross from the left.

On the goals, Hecky said: “Robbie's is a top draw technique, Milly’s is composure but my favourite one is actually the third one, with the pass and the ball across from Hughesy and the fact we’ve got a centre forward in the six-yard box. I keep banging on about all the time.

“Our nines, tens, midfielders, opposite wing-backs, wide men to get in the box and getting those tap-ins, so that was the best goal.”


PNE will find out their quarter-final opponents on Sunday night, with the draw expected to take place at around 6.30pm, following the Manchester United vs Fulham tie.

The Lilywhites have so far had three home matches to get them to the final eight and the manager is hoping for another Deepdale draw.

He said: “For lots of reasons, we want to play here. We’re comfortable here, but when we have got all these games and it's another game to put into the schedule, just logistically it makes so much more sense.

“We're not the biggest of squads. We've got two young lads on the bench for the first time today. It's just common sense. It just protects us physically, less travelling, preparations can be the same, so another reason why I want it home.”

Yes M'Lady

Clarets boss reviews FA Cup defeat at Deepdale

Head Coach Scott Parker said he was ‘disappointed’ with the Emirates FA Cup defeat at Preston North End, but has backed the team to bounce back from a difficult day at Deepdale.

In what was an off-day for the Clarets, it was the first defeat Burnley have suffered since November on a difficult afternoon in Preston.

Luca Koleosho made his return from injury, but the team were unable to deliver a match-winning display in front of 6,000 noisy Burnley fans.

Speaking after the cup tie, Parker admitted the team were not able to get a foothold in the game, after the first goal came from a Robbie Brady free-kick.

“We’re really disappointed today,” he said. “It was a tough tie with tough conditions and with a psychological element to it too but fundamentally we fell short today. It’s not many times I’ve said that this year but today we just fell a little bit short.

“Before the first goal, we’d taken the sting out of the game in an intense environment and I actually thought we started the game pretty well. Then after the goal we weren't really able to get ourselves a foothold and that was where we struggled in large parts trying to chase the game.

“But from that moment, with the emotional state of the game and them having something to hold onto, we couldn’t find anything that could give us a spark today. There was nothing for us to grab onto or give us a bit of a lift and that was disappointing.”


Burnley have a quick turnaround ahead of a visit to Cardiff City on Tuesday night and Parker insists his team would learn from the experience.

He added: “We’re disappointed today. We wanted to do really well in this competition and go through to the next round and we came here with one sole purpose to win the game but we’ve not managed to do that.

“We definitely need to look at that today, on why it was the case and dig a little bit deeper. We have done this throughout this year, we’ve had some blips and our default position is ok let’s learn from it, highlight it and hope that it doesn’t re-occur because we’ve been very good at the basics and platform and today we just fell short.”

[themaclad]

[Lord Snooty]

When did you last make the quarter finals then? 1938?

We've only done it once since then, in 1972.

[themaclad]

1966