Burnley suffered their second embarrassing cup exit of the season, missing a golden chance to reach the FA Cup quarterfinals after being deservedly dumped out 1-0 by non-league Lincoln City.
It was a dire game with neither side possessing much quality and the rugged Imps scored from their only chance of the second half, with the Clarets similarly lacking incision in the final third.
With a cluster of rotten individual performances, Burnley did not seem up for the physical battle waged by Lincoln and they can have no complaints whatsoever with the final score. A day to forget for the club.
Positives
It's hard to find positives in such an embarrassing team performance, but James Tarkowski did not disgrace himself. The Clarets can now at least concentrate on ensuring their Premier League survival.
Negatives
Burnley did not look up for the game mentally from the opening whistle, with Lincoln more physical, aggressive and first to virtually every ball. Joey Barton seemed to lose his head in the second half after a running battle with Matt Rhead and he could and perhaps should have been dismissed for his strange antics, including raising his hands to Terry Hawkridge.
Creatively, the Clarets offered nothing with far too much long ball football and the loss of Johann Gudmundsson, who was kicked out of the game with injury after an Alan Power tackle in the first 20 minutes, was a big blow. The Icelandic international recently got back to full fitness and he now faces another spell on the sidelines.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- Sean Dyche named his strongest team of the season in the FA Cup, partnering Sam Vokes with Andre Gray in attack, but his side failed to deliver and he was powerless to change matters from the sidelines.
Being forced into an early change due to Gudmundsson's injury was less than ideal, but tactically the Clarets were poor and once they eventually started to keep the ball on the ground they improved immeasurably. Dyche will be furious with the terrible set-piece defending for Lincoln's scrambled late winner.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Tom Heaton, 5 -- The captain had little to do all game but his positioning for Sean Raggett's winning goal seemed odd, although there was a big crowd of bodies in his way.
DF Tendayi Darikwa, 5 -- A low cross from the right-back set up Gray for the Clarets' best chance, but too often Darikwa seemed tentative and unsure, both on the ball and at the back.
DF Michael Keane, 5 -- The centre-back often seemed unsure whether to challenge in the air or hold back and win the ball on the ground, with his uncertainty rubbing off on defensive colleagues.
DF James Tarkowski, 5 -- Probably the best of a bad bunch at the back, Tarkowski created a fine chance for Scott Arfield in the first half with some superb hold-up play in the Lincoln penalty area.
DF Jon Flanagan, 3 -- The Liverpool loanee Flanagan had a stinker in the cup defeat at Accrington Stanley earlier in the season, but this was arguably worse. Terrible in possession, his first touch was frequently atrocious.
MF Joey Barton, 2 -- For the first time in a Claret shirt, Barton lost his head. Dominated in the air by the massive Rhead, Barton should have been leading the team from the front but instead he seemed to be trying to get himself sent off at times. A bizarre, shameful display.
MF Ashley Westwood, 5 -- While Barton seemed determined to grab the headlines with his antics, midfield partner Westwood did nothing at all, good or bad, to catch the eye.
MF Scott Arfield, 4 -- Burnley did not create a great deal of chances, but Arfield wasted a couple of clear sights of goal with wild efforts. His overall performance was completely lacking in composure.
MF Johann Gudmundsson, 6 -- The Icelandic international's appalling luck with injuries continued as he was knocked out of the game by an Alan Power foul after just 16 minutes.
FW Sam Vokes, 4 -- Another whose first touch was routinely awful throughout the game, Vokes did nothing to justify his selection and his link-up play was unusually poor.
FW Andre Gray, 5 -- Gray forced a decent first-half save from Lincoln goalkeeper Paul Farman, but when teed up by Darikwa he really should have hit the target. His service was lacking throughout, however.
Substitutes
MF George Boyd, 5 -- In contrast to his performance against Chelsea on Sunday, Boyd's running often seemed pointless. He made no impact in the final third, with regular loose passes and wasted crossing opportunities.
FW Ashley Barnes, NR -- Barnes replaced Vokes and his introduction made little difference to the game.
