Mansfield Beat Burnley 2–1 at Turf Moor in FA Cup Shock

Impressive Mansfield Town fought back to claim a historic 2–1 victory at Turf Moor, as Burnley were made to pay for another limp performance in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

Cup fever ran riot among the travelling Mansfield fans on Valentine’s Day as their heroic Stags piled further misery on the Clarets, coming from a goal down to secure a famous win against their Premier League opponents.

It was Burnley’s Josh Laurent who opened the scoring after 22 minutes. A scramble in the box broke kindly to him on the right-hand side, and he calmly sat the goalkeeper down before rolling the ball into an empty net to give the hosts the advantage.

But the headlines belong to the men in yellow.

Rhys Oates levelled shortly after the restart, rising superbly to guide a well-placed header beyond Max Weiss from a Kyle Knoyle cross.

The visitors then completed the turnaround when Louis Reed stepped up and curled a magnificent free kick into the top left-hand corner, beating Weiss’ desperate dive to seal a stunning comeback.

Knoyle was not only Mansfield’s provider this afternoon. His spectacular goal-line clearance just before half-time kept the Stags alive in the tie and proved to be a match-winning intervention. Jacob Bruun Larsen looked certain to double Burnley’s lead when he rounded Roberts, but Knoyle hooked the ball off the line in dramatic fashion.

Burnley almost struck inside three minutes when Ashley Barnes failed to connect with Quilindschy Hartman’s low cross, sliding inches away from what would have been an early breakthrough.

After that early scare, Mansfield grew into the contest. They pressed aggressively, disrupted Burnley’s rhythm and showed they belonged in the tie. Few clear-cut chances were created before Laurent’s opener, but Mansfield had already demonstrated they would not be overawed by the occasion.

Scott Parker’s side, however, lacked composure. Sloppy passing, poor decision-making and individual errors invited pressure and allowed Mansfield’s high press to gain momentum.

The second half saw no improvement from the hosts. The mistakes continued only this time they were punished.

As Oates powered home the equaliser, agitation spread across Turf Moor. The pattern felt familiar for Clarets supporters who have endured inconsistency throughout the campaign.

The decisive moment arrived when Florentino conceded a free kick in a dangerous position with a high boot.

Reed delivered a moment of pure quality, bending the ball under the crossbar and beyond Weiss to complete a historic turnaround.

Burnley threw bodies forward in the closing stages, but their late push lacked cohesion. Mansfield held firm to secure one of the club’s most memorable FA Cup victories.

It marks Burnley’s second cup defeat of the season and their second home loss to a side currently playing in England’s third tier.

For Mansfield, it is a night of jubilation. They now await their Fifth Round opponent in Monday night’s draw.

For Burnley, the midweek momentum gained against Crystal Palace evaporates quickly. Pressure on Scott Parker intensifies once more.

A day of celebration for one side. A day of humiliation for the other.

This is the FA Cup.