We go into this tie with a better recent record in the FA Cup than our hosts. We've not gone out at the 3rd round stage since Arsenal beat us 2-0 at home in 2008.
Keith Treacy back after recovering from illness |
Since then we've played Queens Park Rangers, Milton Keynes Dons and Port Vale at this stage. The first two were away and the Port Vale game at home and we came through on each occasion with a replay needed against QPR in 2009.
For many years FA Cup runs eluded us but in the last decade we've reached the fifth round on five occasions with the first of those, in 2003, going as far as the 6th round.
During that time we've beaten three Premier League clubs. Fulham were hammered in 2003 in a Turf Moor replay, Liverpool and a certain Mr Traore helped us through in 2005 and three years ago we beat West Brom at home in a replay after an excellent performance at the Hawthorns in a 2-2 draw.
For Burnley boss Eddie Howe it is a third FA Cup tie in charge of the club. His first home game was the 4th round win against Burton Albion last season and then he suffered defeat at West Ham in the next round.
Some of his players, however, can potentially look forward to a Burnley debut in this competition although two players who featured at Leeds on Monday will definitely miss out. Kieran Trippier must sit this one out after being sent off at Elland Road and Sam Vokes cannot play either. He's not cup tied as I've read today but we have not been given permission by Wolves to play him.
Michael Duff has missed the last two games and looks certain to be ruled out again which is beginning to leave us down to bare bones, even more so given that we can name seven substitutes, although there is good news with both Marvin Bartley and Keith Treacy having recovered from the illness that ruled them out at Leeds.
Eddie Howe suggested he might change the formation to deal with Trippier's absence but I suspect he might stay with David Edgar at right back which would leave us without defensive cover on the bench although it would be no surprise to see Kevin Long named amongst the substitutes.
I don't expect too much in terms of changes and we could line up: Lee Grant, David Edgar, Andre Amougou, Ben Mee, Brian Easton, Ross Wallace, Dean Marney, Chris McCann, Junior Stanislas, Martin Paterson, Jay Rodriguez. Subs: Jon Stewart, Kevin Long, Marvin Bartley, Keith Treacy, Zavon Hines, Alex MacDonald, Charlie Austin.
Our Opponents - Norwich City
Trying to come up with the Norwich team can be no more than a guessing game. Manager Paul Lambert has confirmed that he'll make changes but said he'll put out a team good enough to win the game.
They do have a number of players injured. Defenders Marc Tierney, Elliott Ward and Ritchie De Laet are all out as are midfielder Korey Smith and striker James Vaughan. All of those players are injured whilst full back Kyle Naughton is not permitted to play as per his loan deal from Spurs.
Lambert has been busy this week backing his player Bradley Johnson who was accused by QPR of cheating. Given that Neil Warnock is the manager there I suspect this news would definitely have caught the attention of one former Burnley manager.
This is his third season in charge of Norwich and he's won one FA Cup tie, a 1st round tie against Paulton Rovers two seasons ago. It's not been a good competition for Norwich in recent years and only twice since 1997 have they gone past the 3rd round, in 2003 and 2007.
The Norwich squad is expected to be: John Ruddy, Zak Whitbread, Russell Martin, Adam Drury, Wes Hoolahan, Daniel Ayala, Bradley Johnson, Anthony Pilkington, Elliott Bennett, Simon Lappin, Steve Morison, Simeon Jackson, Grant Holt, David Fox, Declan Rudd, Aaron Wilbraham, Andrew Surman, George Francomb.
Last Time We Were There
We've only once played at Carrow Road in one of the two major cup competitions. That came in 1987/88 season when we were just recovering from the Orient season. A 1-1 draw at Turf Moor, in which George Oghani gave us the lead, was followed by a 1-0 defeat at Norwich in the 2nd leg.
Martin Paterson scored twice on his return |
Our last league visit came just over a year ago and ended in a 2-2 draw but it was another in a long series of drawn games on the road that should have been won and this was another where we lost two points to a stoppage time goal.
Manager Brian Laws had brought Martin Paterson back in for this game at the expense of Chris Iwelumo. Pato hadn't been fully fit for a number of weeks and had been used sparingly as a substitute.
We played really well in the first half and opened the scoring with an excellent goal. Tyrone Mears and Jay Rodriguez linked up down the right and the full back pulled the ball back for the returning Paterson to hit a shot into the bottom corner.
Burnley were very much on top now and it was no surprise when we doubled the lead. Dean Marney played a delightful ball between the two central defenders. Pato was onto it quickly but John Ruddy got a hand to his shot. Thankfully, after what agonisingly seemed an age, the ball just about got over the line.
The Burnley players took to a bit of showboating so much on top were they and we could easily have extended the lead before the break.
A first away win of the season looked an absolute certainly, but Norwich were a different side after the break and pushed us back as they got onto the ball time and time again.
With just under 20 minutes to go they pulled a goal back through Chris Martin and the nerves started jangling.
Even so, we got into stoppage time with the lead intact and then conceded a goal that everyone but the incompetent referee Trevor Kettle could see was a clear handball. Andrew Crofts was able to get away with it and scored to give Norwich a point.
Crofts was sent off as Burnley searched for a late winner but he and Kettle had done the damage in a game where Burnley were outstanding in the first half and Norwich looked as good as any team we'd played in the second half.
The teams were;
Norwich: John Ruddy, Russell Martin, Steven Smith (David Fox 53), Leon Barnett, Elliott Ward, Andrew Crofts, Korey Smith, Simon Lappin (Anthony McNamee 45), Wes Hoolahan, Simeon Jackson (Chris Martin 63), Grant Holt. Subs not used: Declan Rudd, Mathew Gill, Oli Johnson, Jens Berthel Askou.
Burnley: Lee Grant, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Danny Fox, Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott, Dean Marney (Jack Cork 78), Chris Eagles (Ross Wallace 70), Martin Paterson (Chris Iwelumo 81), Jay Rodriguez. Subs not used: Brian Jensen, David Edgar, Leon Cort, Steven Thompson.
Previous Games against Norwich City
Last 20 Years | |||||
Season | Comp | Ven | Res | Att | Scorers |
2000/01 | Division 1 | h | 2-0 | 15,017 | Payton, Davis |
a | 3-2 | 17,507 | Ball, Taylor, Moore | ||
2001/02 | Division 1 | a | 1-2 | 19,849 | Armstrong |
h | 1-1 | 14,679 | Taylor | ||
2002/03 | Division 1 | h | 2-0 | 16,282 | McGregor, Little |
a | 0-2 | 20,026 | |||
2003/04 | Division 1 | a | 0-2 | 16,407 | |
h | 3-5 | 12,417 | Wood, May, Blake | ||
2005/06 | Championship | a | 1-2 | 25,204 | Safri(og) |
h | 2-0 | 11,938 | Gray, Branch | ||
2006/07 | Championship | a | 4-1 | 24,717 | J O'Connor, Gray(2), Mahon |
h | 3-0 | 9,681 | Akinbiyi, Gray, Elliott | ||
2007/08 | Championship | h | 2-1 | 10,133 | Blake, Gray(pen) |
a | 0-2 | 24,049 | |||
2008/09 | Championship | h | 2-0 | 11,353 | Eagles(2) |
a | 1-1 | 24,363 | Thompson | ||
2010/11 | Championship | a | 2-2 | 24,519 | Paterson(2) |
h | 2-1 | 14,859 | Marney, Rodriguez |
Click HERE to see all previous results against Norwich City