Burnley 2 PNE 0
First half goals from Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings proved the difference as PNE bowed out of the Capital One Cup despite a spirited performance at Turf Moor.
The opener came only five minutes in. Bailey Wright gave away a foul 30 yards from goal and Burnley full back Kieran Trippier fired a free kick past the wall and it swerved and wrong-footed Thorsten Stuckmann, coming into the side for his first appearance of the season.
The Clarets almost doubled their lead on 12 minutes when Michael Duff rose highest to meet former North Ender Keith Treacy’s left wing corner; the header again beat Stuckmann, but Chris Humphrey was well positioned on the line to head the ball away.
Simon Grayson’s side were operating a 3-4-1-2 formation and started to gain control of the game, particularly in the middle of the park and at the mid-point in the half skipper for the night Keith Keane dispossessed another ex-PNE man David Jones in centre circle, he broke through the middle of the park, slipped in Beavon on the right, who in turn cut back and shot only to see his effort turned round post by Cisak in the Burnley goal.
From Holmes’ resulting inswinging corner first round hero Tom Clarke headed an inch past left hand post with a powerful header.
Just after the half hour mark as North End continued to have a strong spell of possession and a deep cross from Stuart Beavon on the right – making his first start of the season – was met on the volley by Scott Laird on the left hand corner of the box, only a yard or two wide of left hand post; the left back making his first start since breaking his leg against Notts County in November 2012.
However, despite the good amount of possession, the home side doubled their lead in the 34th minute. The Clarets’ leading scorer Danny Ings broke through the North End backline via one or two ricochets and slotted coolly past Stuckmann into the bottom right hand corner.
The Lilywhites almost responded immediately as Joel Byrom rose highest to meet a central free kick from Lee Holmes, but again Burnley’s goalkeeping debutant Alex Cisak dived at full stretch to his left to palm the ball behind for a corner.
North End started the second half brightly and Iain Hume had a header cleared off the line from Humphrey's deep right wing cross; Mee getting a vital boot on it and then Joel Byrom whipped a 25 yard pile driver just past the right hand post before Lee Holmes also went close - all inside the opening five minutes, raising the volume of the 3,000 plus fans in the cricket field stand behind Cisak's goal.
Byrom then fired a 30 yard free kick towards the top right hand corner, Cisak again denying him, tipping the ball up and over before a brace of corners could not be converted.
The mid-point in the half brought another series of free kicks and corner for North End allowing North End to get balls into the box on a regular basis, but without forcing Cisak into too many saves.
With 18 minutes to go the home side won a corner from a rare foray into the North End half, but it was all North End. Simon Grayson added Wroe and Kevin Davies to his attack to try and break down a Burnley defence that had defended resolutely.
The Lilywhites continued to press but were stubbornly kept at bay by Sean Dyche's side who held on for a place in the third round.
: Cisak, Trippier, Mee, Shackell, Duff, Edgar, Arfield, Treacy (Marney, 66), Jones (Stock, 81), Vokes, Ings (Stanislas, 84). Subs not used: Liversedge, Long, Lafferty, Noble.Burnley line-up
: Stuckmann, Clarke, Huntington, Wright; Humphrey, Keane, Byrom, Laird; Holmes (Wroe, 73); Beavon (Garner, 89), Hume (Davies, 73). Subs not used: Rudd, Buchanan, Welsh, Mousinho.PNE line-up
: 10,648 (2,920 away fans)Attendance
: Mr P TierneyReferee