Ipswich Town 0-0 Burnley: FA Cup replay after battling draw

The Blues more than matched the Championship leaders throughout a game played at a good tempo, but neither side could break the deadlock. 

Town’s display was characterised by hard work throughout, with Kieran McKenna’s men battling tirelessly in this game as they pressed the visitors and looked to profit from any mistakes. 

They created chances, too, but weren’t able to take them as the contest ended goalless, thanks to a solid defensive effort from the hosts. 

Marcus Harness hit the bar against Burnley (Image: Steve Waller)

The two sides will do it all again at Turf Moor in 10 days’ time. 

McKenna made eight changes to the side which beat Morecambe 4-0 on Tuesday evening, with only George Edmundson, Sam Morsy and Lee Evans keeping their places. 

Vaclav Hladky started in goal, behind a defence made up of Janoi Donacien, Luke Woolfenden, Edmundson and Greg Leigh. 

Morsy and Evans continued in the middle of midfield, with Kayden Jackson, Marcus Harness and Sone Aluko starting behind striker George Hirst. 

And Town’s No.27 had the first chance of the afternoon as Evans sent Jackson away down the right, with the forward producing an excellent ball into danger which Hirst reached between two Burnley defenders. He could only turn narrowly wide, though. 

Town’s tempo in the opening stages was high, putting their high-flying visitors under pressure and testing their defence as Harness curled a shot against the top of the crossbar.  

Sam Morsy battles away against Burnley (Image: Steve Waller)

The hosts’ fast start faded slightly after 15 minutes, as Burnley worked their way into the contest, with their first real effort on goal coming as Jay Rodriguez jinked his way through Donacien before firing over the top of the bar. 

The man-bunned striker was beginning to cause Ipswich issues and was the target of a succession of cut-backs from the Burnley left, where Scott Twine and Darko Churlinov combined regularly to threaten. 

But it was Town who forced the next save from a goalkeeper, as Jackson fired in a cross which Bailey Peacock-Farrell needed to scramble to turn over the bar, for a corner which Leigh ultimately headed wide. 

Twine forced an easy save from Hladky from a free-kick, with what was the only shot on target of as first-half which ended with Harness opting to go alone when presented with the ball in the middle of the pitch by a stray Burnley pass. He was crowded out having opted against a slipped ball to an open Hirst. 

Both sides returned unchanged for the start of the second period but, unlike the first, it was the visitors who came out the blocks as Nathan Tella forced a really good save from Hladky. 

Ipswich Town owners Brett Johnson, Berke Bakay and Ed Schwartz were at Portman Road for the FA Cup clash with Burnley (Image: Steve Waller)

The Czech keeper was then needed to beat away a Rodriguez shot as he scrambled back into his goal as play broke down, with the Blues looking to relieve pressure whenever they could by playing a quick ball up to Hirst. 

Twine dragged a shot wide before both sides made triple changes, with Freddie Ladapo, Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead entering the game for the Blues. 

Burnley replacement Anass Zaroury flashed a deflected shot wide as the visitors searched for a winner, but Town maintained a threat throughout and saw a Jackson shot blocked away at the back post following good work from Leigh. 

Town forced a couple of late set-pieces but weren’t able to make them count as the contest ended goalless. 

Ipswich Town: Hladky; Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Leigh; Morsy (Luongo, 78), Evans; Jackson (Edwards, 85), Harness (Broadhead, 60), Aluko (Chaplin, 60); Hirst (Ladapo, 60) 

Subs: Walton, Burgess, Vincent-Young, Humphreys 

Burnley: Peacock-Farrell, Vitinho, Bayer, Al-Dakhil, Taylor; Cork, Bastien (Cullen, 59), Churlinov (Zaroury 59), Tella (Roberts, 90+), Twine (Brownhill, 59) Rodriguez (Foster, 67) 

Subs: Casper, Maatsen, Ekdal, Barnes 

Att: 25,420 (1,581 Burnley fans)