Man.
That was a wild one.
The Result
Burnley 1 (4), MK Dons 1 (3)
How It Happened:
Things were not going well. Well, they were. But they weren’t.
Burnley kept getting chances. Loads of them. And they were allowing few to the visitors, but one got converted upon, and so for most of the match Burnley trailed 1-0.
And by most of it, we mean all of it.
It wasn’t until stoppage time—and deep into stoppage time (MK Dons manager Russell Martin—yes same name as the catcher—said the ref had even told him time was up, and said it so adamantly that he eventually was ejected)—that Burnley got on the board, Matěj Vydra providing the equalizer. Even during the ensuing shootout, following a scoreless thirty minutes of extra time, Burnley started out behind. But eventually, backup keeper Will Norris made not just one, but two saves, and the Clarets advanced into the Fourth Round (the round of 32).
Martin wasn’t the only red card recipient for the guests. Just before halftime, an MK Dons defender was carded for an egregious, goal-stopping handball. But…VAR overturned it. Burnley had to keep playing 11-on-11. There was no goal. And eventually, the lads avoided embarrassment anyway.
What It Means:
Burnley’s on to the Fourth Round. They don’t yet know who they’ll play, but the draw—along with that for the Fifth Round—is tomorrow.
What’s Next:
Burnley hosts Man U on Tuesday in their makeup match from the beginning-of-the-season postponement. Back to EPL play for the next week and a half or so.
Other News:
Jack Cork was finally back. Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson played. Joel Mumbongo made his debut and played a roll in the Vydra goal. It was unclear which absences were due to Covid, and I haven’t looked closely on the Twitters, but some evidently were. So keep an eye on that.
General Thoughts:
I’ve got thirteen more Stuber Eats deliveries to make this week if I’m gonna get the big bonus and it just started snowing in Austin, which Austin roads are not prepared for, meaning this might be a dicey day.
Burnley Thoughts:
The FA Cup’s kinda weird because it doesn’t feel like there’s really a shot to win it, but winning it would be enormous, and you want to keep playing but then it also wears you out, I’d guess? I don’t know. Maybe it’s not that big of a deal.
Bottom line is the Burnleys won, and they had enough chances that it doesn’t seem actually that concerning that they nearly lost to a third-tier team.
