Ipswich Town 0-0 Burnley: Promotion-seeking sides in FA Cup stalemate

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Highlights: Ipswich force fourth-round replay against Burnley

Ipswich and Burnley had to settle for a replay that neither side wanted after a goalless FA Cup fourth-round draw.

Both are seeking promotion from their respective divisions but a second game will decide who reaches the last 16.

Marcus Harness clipped the top of the Burnley crossbar in a bright start by the League One hosts at Portman Road.

Nathan Tella and Jay Rodriguez were denied as the Championship leaders improved after the break but they could not find a way past Vaclav Hladky.

Town boss Kieran McKenna only retained three of the starting line-up from last weekend's league win over Morecambe and it was a similar story for Burnley, with only Jordan Beyer, Charlie Taylor, Samuel Bastien and Tella remaining from the XI which began their home victory over West Brom.

In the first FA Cup meeting between the two sides, the home team started brightly, with loan signing George Hirst - whose father David played for Sheffield Wednesday in the 1993 final - causing plenty of problems for the Burnley defence.

The Clarets came into the game with foraging runs by Darko Churlinov resulting in a couple of off-target snap shots by Rodriguez, but despite some good passing and movement from both sides, neither keeper was seriously extended before the interval.

Burnley, though, were soon on the front foot following the re-start and Hladky had to tip a Tella shot over the bar after the forward's first effort was blocked and then went down smartly to deny Rodriguez.

McKenna and Burnley counterpart Vincent Kompany both made three changes on the hour - the former replacing his entire front line, with top scorer Conor Chaplin and Freddie Ladapo - who both netted twice against Morecambe - and Nathan Broadhead sent on.

And Kompany made another change a few minutes later as midweek signing Lyle Foster - brought in from Belgian side KVC Westerlo - made his debut in English football, but Anass Zaroury twice shot wide from decent positions as they continued to press.

It was Ipswich - bidding to reach the fifth round for the first time in 16 years - who looked the more dangerous in the closing minutes as Luke Woolfenden headed over from Lee Evans' ball into the box and Chaplin hit the bar with a floated cross which rebounded into the grateful arms of Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

Before the replay, Burnley will make another trip to the east of England next Saturday to face Norwich City in the league, while Ipswich will travel to Cambridge United.

Ipswich head coach Kieran McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk:

"It was a big effort by the players, they did most of the things that we wanted in the game and were really difficult to play against.

"They were aggressive, pressed high and played with a lot of energy and tried to play our football.

"Of course, there were spells when we were having to defend, but we did everything apart from get a goal.

"We had a couple of big moments we weren't able to take but we take pride in the things we did well and look forward to really good challenge at Turf Moor."

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany told BBC Radio 5 Live:

"The pitch deteriorated quite quickly and it became more of a battle. But it's an FA Cup game, away, against one of the teams in form in League One and we knew it was going to be difficult, so I don't think it's too bad a result for us.

"I do think we were threatening but the final ball, the final decision making [was off], but I've seen many cup games like that and quite often you might be eliminated.

"For us, we've got them at home now and we'll look forward to that. We have a squad with some new guys who need game time, so it was either that [a replay] or we were going to have to organise another game anyway."

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