Report: Impenetrable Burnley advance in the cup

The Clarets arrived at St Mary’s on a run of nine successive clean sheets in the league, boasting 22 shutouts in 31 Championship matches this season.

The best of Saints’ chances fell to Ryan Manning, who was twice denied by goalkeeper Václav Hladký, but there was no way past the visitors, who struck the decisive blow through substitute Marcus Edwards 13 minutes from time.

Ivan Jurić made four changes from the first Premier League win of his tenure, which came at Ipswich last weekend.

There were no risks taken with Aaron Ramsdale, so Alex McCarthy deputised in goal, while Manning, Tyler Dibling and Kamaldeen Sulemana also returned to the line-up – all three of whom started the 3-0 victory over Swansea in the third round.

Albert Grønbæk and Paul Onuachu dropped to the bench, with Taylor Harwood-Bellis missing out completely after being forced off with an injury at Portman Road.

Promotion-chasing Burnley made eight changes from the latest in a long line of 1-0 wins this season, arriving on the back of nine consecutive Championship clean sheets, but a hectic start at St Mary’s belied their recent history of low-scoring encounters.

Within two minutes of kick-off Manuel Benson released Lucas Pires, whose return pass to Benson saw the winger leave McCarthy on the seat of his pants as he faked to shoot, but home debutant Welington was there to cover his keeper and clear off the line.

Burnley’s confidence was on show again moments later when Jonjo Shelvey tried to catch out McCarthy from all of 45 yards, but the stopper retreated in plenty of time.

New Group Technical Director Johannes Spors (centre) was in attendance to watch his first Saints game

Saints offered a first glimpse of their own attacking intent with the tie still only four minutes old, as Kamaldeen’s pace carried him beyond two defenders but not captain CJ Egan-Riley, who dived in to make an important block.

Saints kept up the pressure, as Manning crossed just over the head of Dibling, before Lesley Ugochukwu’s low shot was blocked when set up by James Bree, whose tackle to thwart Joe Worrall from a Burnley free-kick at the other end was perfectly timed.

This was an entertaining opening. Another burst from Kamaldeen carried him between two defenders but not Worrall, who thought he’d done his job when he stepped in to play a backpass, but it put Hladký off balance.

When his rushed clearance was collected by Manning in the box, the defender looked set to score his first Saints goal, but he was hesitant to shoot with his less favoured right foot and Hladký shut down the angles to save.

When the ball looped up in the air and Dibling fired it back on the volley, Worrall redeemed himself to clear.

Welington impressed on his home debut

Saints were the team on top but Burnley are a notoriously tough nut to crack and were keen to show they still carried an attacking threat of their own.

Ashley Barnes did well to hold up a long ball and help it on for Jeremy Sarmiento, scorer of a crucial late winner for Ipswich at Saints’ expense last season, who turned away from Bree in the box.

Perhaps he was unaware that caused the defender to slip and gave Sarmiento more time than he realised, as his ensuing shot was rushed and too close to McCarthy, who was able to make a fairly straightforward save.

Welington was among Saints’ best performers at Ipswich and his first taste of St Mary’s was going well when he skipped away from a couple of challenges and spread the play to Walker-Peters on the right.

It was the start of a move that carried Saints towards the Burnley box, where Walker-Peters exchanged passes with Dibling, whose low drive just skidded wide of the near post.

Saints started the second half determined to break this renowned Burnley resistance. Bree’s quick thinking at a throw-in freed Walker-Peters, whose cutback for Dibling allowed the youngster to pick out Manning on the penalty spot, but again Hladký was there to deny him, leaving Manning again longing for such a chance to fall to his left foot instead of his right.

The first of Ryan Manning's two big chances in the tie

Kamaldeen was booked for a dive in front of the Northam Stand, who appealed en masse for a penalty, but in truth it was probably neither and the forward simply lost his footing.

Burnley boss Scott Parker made a triple change just before the hour, including handing a debut to eye-catching deadline-day loan signing Edwards from Sporting.

Jurić responded by introducing Onuachu, roared on by the home fans after his late winner at Ipswich.

Welington hit a speculative shot over the bar from distance while Barnes forced a save from McCarthy, but chances were proving harder to come by with every passing minute.

Kamaldeen threatened to unlock the door on 73 minutes, curling one wide of Hladký’s left-hand post, but it was Burnley who struck the decisive blow four minutes later.

Working their way down the left, Sarmiento’s shot looped into the air off Jan Bednarek and fell kindly for Hannibal.

As McCarthy advanced, the former Manchester United midfielder had the composure to square the ball for debutant Edwards to force home the winner from close range.

Jurić responded by introducing Will Smallbone for Ugochukwu with eight minutes left, and Cameron Archer and Grønbæk followed soon after, while Parker sent on former Saint Nathan Redmond, who was applauded on by the home fans.

Saints pushed for an equaliser in added time, but there was no way through the formidable Burnley backline.

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Bree, Bednarek (c), Welington, Manning, Ugochukwu (Smallbone 82), Aribo, Dibling (Onuachu 68), Fernandes (Archer 86), Kamaldeen (Grønbæk 86).

Unused substitutes: Ramsdale, Bella-Kotchap, Wood, Sugawara, Lallana.

Booked: Kamaldeen, Bree.

Burnley: Hladký, Sonne, Egan-Riley (c) (Estève 59), Worrall, Humphreys, Shelvey (Bauress 59), Hannibal, Benson (Edwards 59), Sarmiento (Redmond 83), Pires, Barnes.

Unused substitutes: Green, Cullen, Agyei, Flemming, Banel.

Goals: Edwards (77’).

Booked: Worrall.

Referee: Will Finnie.

Attendance: 15,253.