Spot of bother

Scunthorpe 1

Dawson 82mins

Burnley 1

Payton 73 mins

(after extra-time)

Scunthorpe won 5-4 on penalties

SCUNTHORPE manager Brian Laws admitted he feared the worst when his side's FA Cup hopes hinged on a penalty shoot-out against inspired Burnley goalkeeper Nik Michopoulos.

The magnificent Michopoulos had pulled off a collection of breath-taking saves to prolong the Clarets' interest in the competition.

But ultimately even he couldn't deny the Iron their moment of glory as the Third Division side triumphed in the spot-kick saloon when Kevin Ball lifted Burnley's sixth penalty over the bar to send Stan Ternent's side crashing out.

Laws said: "You've got to applaud a goalkeeper sometimes. Nik Michopoulos had an awesome game and pulled off some world-class saves.

"He looks a really quality goalkeeper. He had a great game against Barnsley on Saturday and showed it again tonight.

"When it goes to penalties you think it's going to be tough and then when we took the first one and he saved it in the bottom corner you thought 'oh God'.

"But the players all wanted to take them and they got their rewards."

When Michopoulos flung himself low to his left to turn away Peter Morrison's first penalty of the shoot-out the Clarets looked a good bet to scrape through to round four.

But Scunthorpe keeper Tom Evans immediately countered by blocking Steve Davis's effort and the underdogs never relaxed their grip again as they secured a trip to Bolton on Sunday.

Darryn Stamp, Andrew Dawson, Guy Ipoua, Bjarni Larusson and Russ Wilcox all successfully converted from 12 yards.

And while Gordon Armstrong, Glen Little, Ian Moore and John Mullin handled the pressure to reply in kind, Ball couldn't hit the target as sudden death took its toll.

"A lot of sides have gone out on penalties and it's never a satisfactory way for the team that comes out on the wrong end of it.

"It's our turn and we have to take it on the chin.

"You'd put your house on the skipper scoring normally but their keeper made a save and then Bally had the courage to do it but put it over the top.

"The players gave their all but didn't get a break," said disappointed Burnley manager Stan Ternent.

It was a painful end for Burnley as they went out to Third Division opposition for the second time in three seasons.

But for the neutral, and for the joyous home fans, the penalty drama contributed to a cracking tie that was heading the Clarets' way only briefly.

Andy Payton's typically well taken 73rd-minute effort appeared to have finally quelled Scunthorpe's brave bid after they had been only a couple of minutes away from victory in the first meeting at Turf Moor.

However, it was the Iron who pulled it out of the fire on this occasion when Andrew Dawson curled home a delightful free-kick eight minutes from the end of normal time.

Burnley then had the better chances in extra-time as Paul Weller over-ran the ball when put clear by Payton and Lennie Johnrose, who had forced the replay with a last-gasp goal just over a fortnight ago, had a header blocked on the line in the dying stages.

And the Clarets should also have had a penalty 20 minutes into the second when Glen Little knocked the ball past Dawson before being tripped when a goal might have been decisive.

But few could argue with Scunthorpe's passage through as they belied their lowly League status with another impressive performance.

Laws's side played some neat stuff, while Burnley didn't support the front two of Andy Payton and Ian Moore sufficiently, except for some thrusting runs from Little and Weller, or pass the ball well enough through midfield.

Lee Hodges was again the class act in that department with his passing, vision and shooting and surely only question marks over his physical stature must be stopping bigger clubs from reaching for the cheque book.

Likewise 19-year-old central defender Nathan Stanton would be worth an investment and his pace got Scunthorpe out of a tight spot on a couple of occasions in the first half, notably when robbing Payton, although he did appear to play Moore rather than the ball as the Burnley man shaped to shoot early on.

None of the Scunthorpe players was afraid to try their luck at goal, which made for a busy night for Michopoulos.

He saved first from a Dawson free-kick and then from Hodges before the break, while Steve Torpey sliced badly wide.

After a promising start Burnley lacked sufficient quality in their build-up play until the introduction of Little eight minutes into the second half, as he provided through-balls for both Payton and Moore, while Weller also warmed Evans hands.

The Clarets were under the cosh at the other end, however, as shots rained in on Michopoulos's goal.

His save low down from Bjarni Larusson was breath-taking, while he also tipped round a Hodges effort and palmed away the follow-up from Gareth Sheldon after the useful Larusson had rattled the bar from 30 yards.

But while Burnley have Payton they have the chance to reverse any situation and when Little made another foray into opposition territory he fed the striker who made no mistake with a goal out of nothing.

The Clarets breathed a collective sigh of relief only to discover that the tie had a nasty sting in the tail.

QUOTE: " You'd put your house on the skipper scoring normally but their keeper made a save and then Bally had the courage to do it but put it over the top," Stan Ternent.