In horrible conditions at a wet and windy Turf Moor, Burnley eased into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win against Championship strugglers Bristol City. Once Sam Vokes had put the Clarets ahead at the end of the first half, the result was never in doubt and a magnificent Steven Defour goal secured the victory, a 10th at home in all competitions this season.
Burnley were the beneficiaries of some hopeless defending at times but equally, they didn't have to stretch themselves despite manager Sean Dyche taking the opportunity to rest plenty of key players ahead of the visit of Premier League champions Leicester City on Tuesday.
Positives
Turf Moor continues to act as a fortress for the Clarets, who might just be considered outsiders to win the FA Cup if they could only play all of their games on their own ground. It was a clinical performance that allowed Dyche to ensure a lot of his star men retain energy for the battles ahead.
The fact that almost 15,000 people turned out despite appalling weather in east Lancashire is indicative of the good feeling around the club at the moment, even in the absence of any new signings in the January transfer window.
Negatives
Burnley weren't at their best for most of the game and for large periods of the first half their passing lacked zip and penetration, but they played as well as they had to for the victory. More goals could and perhaps should have added gloss to the scoreline and reflected the large gulf in quality between the sides, but 2-0 was always going to be more than enough to keep Burnley moving on.
Manager rating out of 10
7 -- Sean Dyche made eight changes from last weekend's 2-1 loss at Arsenal and his fringe players did exactly what was required, with the experience of Joey Barton and Steven Defour guiding the team through a comfortable victory. The substitutions made by Dyche in the last 20 minutes were functional, with the match already won after Defour's superb scoop, and the manager will be pleased with a good day's work and a place in the fifth round.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Nick Pope, 7 -- The young goalkeeper remains unbeaten in the FA Cup this season. He had very little to do in recording his third clean sheet in the competition, deputising for skipper Tom Heaton.
DF Tendayi Darikwa, 5 -- Darikwa struggled to get in the game and the right-back failed to make much of an impression on a rare start, although he did pick up a booking.
DF Michael Keane, 7 -- Keane was able to play within himself for much of the game, as was the case with many of his colleagues.
DF Ben Mee, 8 -- Captain in the absence of Heaton, Mee set up a first-half chance with a sensational piece of play and he was generally very solid at the back.
DF Jon Flanagan, 5 -- Flanagan continues to struggle and he lost the ball regularly. Neither full-back was able to contribute enough going forward, while they were virtually untested defensively.
MF James Tarkowski, 7 -- A class act in possession, Tarkowski showed some sweet touches but he still looks like a central defender playing out of position and he was pushed off the ball too easily at times.
MF Joey Barton, 7 -- One gorgeous cross-field pass, played on the volley, showed what Barton brings to the team, but he was another who played in first gear.
MF Steven Defour, 9 -- The Belgian oozed quality against a team that couldn't cope with his incision. A cute dummy provided the assist for Vokes' opener and his goal was an audacious piece of pure genius.
MF Scott Arfield, 7 -- It was a busy performance on the wing from the Canada international, but there could have been more from him in the final third.
MF Johann Gudmundsson, 7 -- An encouraging return from injury, Gudmundsson saw a decent shot saved late in the first half and there was some excellent creativity from him late in the game.
FW Sam Vokes, 7 -- The Wales international was having a quiet first half before his opener, but a cool placed finish -- his 50th goal for the club -- got Burnley up and running.
Substitutes
FW Ashley Barnes, 6 -- The Clarets were 2-0 ahead and cruising but Barnes helped to see the match out by defending from the front.
MF Jeff Hendrick, 6 -- A 20-minute cameo didn't require any flash from Hendrick and he helped to ensure the team kept a deserved clean sheet.
MF Michael Kightly, NR -- The winger is low on confidence and he made little impact in his 12 minutes.