Burnley vs Millwall; The FA Cup Third Round
Burnley vs Millwall. The FA Cup Third Round.
Turf MoorAttendance6,856.
Burnley 5-1 Millwall: Ashley Barnes scores twice as Scott Parker's Clarets secure emphatic FA Cup third round victory
Match report from the FA Cup third round tie between Burnley and Millwall at Turf Moor; Ashley Barnes scores twice as Scott Parker's Clarets reach the fourth round for the third time in four seasons
Saturday 10 January 2026 18:18, UK
Ashley Barnes scored twice as Burnley put their Premier League worries on hold to cruise into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 5-1 win over Millwall.
The 36-year-old scored his first goal of the season early on and added his second midway through the second half as the blundering Lions gifted a confident home side the most emphatic of wins.
Boss Scott Parker made eight changes to the side that started in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Manchester United and they did not disappoint, as further goals from Loum Tchaouna and Jaidon Anthony put them out of sight by half-time.
Substitute Jaydon Banel added Burnley's fifth on the stroke of 90 minutes before the shell-shocked Lions, who had completely capitulated, scored an added-time consolation through Josh Coburn.
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Burnley dominated the opening exchanges and grabbed the lead in the 11th minute when Jacob Bruun Larsen squared for Barnes to sweep home past visiting goalkeeper Steven Benda.
The Lions mustered little in response, with Aidomo Emakhu booting their best chance straight at Burnley keeper Max Weiss after being released down the left by Joe Bryan.
But the visitors slowly grew into the game and should have levelled when Jake Cooper got his head on Alfie Doughty's cross from deep on the left but was denied by a brilliant over-arm save from Weiss.
The keeper saved again from Cooper on the half-hour as Millwall threatened a leveller but the visitors were undone by two defensive errors that put the game beyond their grasp.
Tchaouna was allowed to thread his left-foot shot from the edge of the box past a static Benda on 35 minutes and shortly before the break the Millwall keeper's poor clearance ultimately gifted Anthony the chance to slide home his side's third.
Millwall looked livelier at the start of the second half and Thierno Ballo should have done better when he found space to get a shot off in the left side of the box, but the home side were clearly in cruise control.
Tchaouna came close to his second when he rifled a shot against the outside of Benda's right-hand post and the increasingly inevitable fourth arrived on 65 minutes when Kamarl Grant made a hash of clearing Anthony's right-wing cross and a delighted Barnes mopped up.
Hunting for a hat-trick, Barnes flashed a header straight at Benda as the linesman's flag was raised, but it was Banel who completed the rout from close range before Coburn's confident finish in stoppage time.
Despite making eight changes to the side that started in Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Manchester United, Parker was rewarded with a thoroughly dominant display that he hopes will help point the way upwards.
Parker hoping big win can inspire confidence
Burnley head coach Scott Parker:
"We're in the Premier League where it's a different level, but in saying that this is tough opposition we played, a team who have got some really good results in the Championship and are fighting for the play-offs.
"So I'm pleased with the changes we made, we still looked strong and I'm hoping that after two good results, against Man Utd and a positive and dominant performance today, that can breathe some confidence into the team."
On Ashley Barnes: "He sets an incredible example. I'm so pleased for Ash because he's an experienced guy and at this present moment, when we're having a bit of a tough time, the help he gives me and the coaches and this young squad, he's a really positive guy."
'The biggest difference was how clinical Burnley were'
Millwall manager Alex Neil:
"It's always disappointing to lose a game in that manner. I think the first half was frustrating because there were bits when we had some good play and some good territory.
"The biggest difference was how clinical Burnley are in the final third, versus how clinical we were, certainly in the first half.
"We've left five or six first-team players back down the road and the reason we've done it is we've suffered from injuries all season and we've still managed to mount a challenge.
"Our priority is obviously going to be the league. We've had a great season and from this point we've got an opportunity to go and try to finish the season well.
"I think with the injury list we've had this season, to list some of the first team lads I didn't list today would have been negligent from me."
