Emotional Maidstone boss George Elokobi saluted a ‘blockbuster’ winning goal from Bivesh Gurung as his side stunned League Two high-fliers Barrow in the FA Cup.

The National League South side reached the third round for the first time since their reformation in 1992 and Elokobi believes they fully deserve to be there.

The former Wolves midfielder said after the 2-1 success: “I’m really excited for the football club.

“Barrow showed us respect which was wonderful, but I think we deserved to get through.

“I got emotional after the game but those emotions were for everyone here, the players, the fans and all the staff and the community of Maidstone.

“The whole place is buzzing after that, the whole community is, so let’s see where this result takes us now.

“It’s an incredible achievement, but this is the magic of the FA Cup.

“Now the whole town can go out and enjoy it, and see what happens in the draw tomorrow.

“We had a mountain to climb, but we reached the summit thanks to Bivesh’s goal.

“It was an absolute blockbuster – it was just an excellent hit. As soon as it left his boot I knew the ball was going to fly in. Bivesh is a terrific talent and I’m so delighted for him.”

The non-league outfit probably enjoyed the better of the opening 45 minutes at the Gallagher Stadium.

However, it was Barrow who opened the scoring when Ben Whitfield pounced on a defensive mix-up before tapping home.

The Kent club bagged a deserved leveller thanks to Sam Corne’s drilled strike and there was precious little goalmouth action in the second period until Gurung smashed home from 20 yards with 16 minutes left.

It was a blow for Barrow boss Pete Wild, whose side must now focus solely on their continuing promotion push from League Two.

Wild said: “It’s definitely been a frustrating day at the office.

“Did we do enough to win the game, or maybe did we do enough to have lost the game? I’m not sure, but that’s the FA Cup for you.

“It was a nothing game for the large part, a drab encounter really, and I thought we were comfortable for large periods.

“Their lad goes and pulls a goal out of nowhere, though, and now I’m thinking to myself ‘how did we lose that?’.

“We’ve spent the whole of the second half in their half but I’m frustrated that we didn’t create nearly enough chances.

“We look a bit flat, though that’s not an excuse, and we looked tired, and that’s not an excuse, but when you don’t take or create enough chances like we have today, then you’re bound to leave yourselves susceptible to a result like this.”

Sutton boss Matt Gray praised his side after they secured an FA Cup third-round tie for only the sixth time in their history with a 3-0 win over non-league Horsham.

Horsham were reinstated into the second round after it was found League One Barnsley had fielded an ineligible player in the replay.

But Luton loanee Dion Pereira bagged a second-half double in the space of 10 minutes before Omari Patrick’s late goal broke the seventh-tier side’s hearts.

Sutton sit bottom of the Football League but are in the third round for the first time since 2016 and Gray said: “I know we’re not going to go on and win the FA Cup so we just want a big pay day really.”

Sutton overcame a real banana skin with a poor start to the season and a long injury list to contend with.

“There’s certainly pride, I’m bursting with pride,” added Gray.

“We came into the game with nine injuries already and then lost our two main defenders. I certainly didn’t think I’d see a Sutton United team with that back four.

“To show the character and togetherness to get through that adversity and stay patient to show that quality is pleasing.

“There’s relief at getting it done. I’m really pleased to look forward for tomorrow’s draw.

“It’s very important that you stay calm and patient and the longer the game goes on, you would hope they would start to tire slightly with them not being a full-time side and then the gaps open up.

“The quality can then show and that was certainly the case at multiple occasions in the second half.”

The already-depleted U’s had to cope with losing two more defenders on a bitterly cold afternoon.

Gray said: “We adjusted really well. It was all planned and prepared for, it wasn’t panic stations, we were aware of what we needed to do if players went down injured. And unfortunately, we were forced to do it.

“The first goal is always massive and you don’t want it to come against you against the run of play.

“Dion could have had a couple before that. He managed to get one and backed it up with a second. He could have had a hat-trick, so I’m really pleased with his performance.

“I thought the front two were a real handful. There were a lot of good performances and the substitutes added to that as well.”

Proud Horsham boss Dom di Paola, who made history by steering the side into the second round, said: “No-one will ever forget the Barnsley away trip.

“It’s been good. It’s shown what we’re capable of as a group. We’ve said to the boys we have to take this into our league campaign and if we do that we’ll have a good season.

“The boys have been great. Whichever group we’ve put out over the eight or nine games, they’ve done great things for us.

“Hopefully the supporters can look back on it as a good FA Cup campaign.”

The non-league side got a reprieve after Barnsley were found to have field an ineligible player in the replay.

And on the defeat, Di Paola said: “As the game went on, we suffered a bit of fatigue.

“We’re just disappointed we couldn’t come away with something. I just felt some of the things we’re good at we didn’t do.

“When we got in good areas, we just made the wrong decision too many times.
“You’re obviously playing a side of Football League calibre and they’re going to punish you if you don’t capitalise on opportunities.

“There’s a feeling of frustration. I’m not annoyed at the boys, but we didn’t get going second half.”

Des Buckingham singled out Josh Murphy after League One Oxford saw off last year’s FA Cup giant-killers Grimsby 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium to reach the third round.

Murphy made the first goal – converted by Marcus McGuane – after 11 minutes, with substitute Billy Bodin heading in the second from Cameron Brannagan’s cross 15 minutes from time to give Buckingham his first win in charge.

He said: “The whole team were very good – the one player who maybe really stood out was Murphy on the left-hand side.

“He is one of many in the team who are keen to show me what they can do and I thought he had a wonderful game.”

Buckingham, who swapped 35-degree Mumbai for sub-zero Oxford to get his first shot at management in England, added: “What pleased me most was the professionalism in how we approached the game.

“It was a professional performance from us against a team that’s also desperate to impress because they’ve got a new manager as well.

“There might have been a perception after playing Bolton on Tuesday night that we would take our foot off the gas here but I didn’t see that at all.

“I saw a very well organised and disciplined team.

“It finished 2-0 but I think we could have scored a couple more.”

McGuane followed up to score when Mariners goalkeeper Harvey Cartwright could only parry Murphy’s shot – after the winger had sprinted 60 yards up the left on a break from defence.

It all came from a Grimsby corner that was poorly executed.

And new boss David Artell, who has been in the job for less than a week, blamed himself for the goal.

Artell said: “I blame myself for it because it came from our corner – and we haven’t worked on any set-pieces, which is my fault.”

He added: “When you’ve only had one proper training session and two match-prep sessions in a week it’s very hard to change a lot.

“But I thought we gave a good account of ourselves, we controlled possession better than we did on Tuesday night at MK Dons.

“I’ve seen enough to know that we’ve got a lot of qualities and we’re going to be OK.”

Grimsby never got close to repeating their fairy-tale run of last season when they won at Southampton and made it all the way through to the quarter-finals.

Their best opportunity fell to sub Donovan Wilson who ran in behind the home defence in the second half and brought a good save from James Beadle.

The one disappointment for Oxford was seeing forward Marcus Browne, who had been sidelined for three months with a hamstring injury, have to come off the pitch shortly after going on.

Buckingham said: “Marcus has been out for 14 weeks and has been working extremely hard with his rehabilitation.

“He was cleared to play and we put him on and he was ready to go. He contributed extremely well to the second goal but then just suddenly felt a little bit tight, so rather than risk anything we brought him off.”

Victor Osimhen’s suitors are running out of time to capture the Napoli hitman as president Aurelio De Laurentiis has revealed the Nigerian is close to agreeing a new contract.

Osimhen, 24, has lit up Serie A since arriving in Naples from Lille in July 2020, with his greatest achievement so far scoring 31 league goals as the Azzurri clinched a long-overdue Scudetto last season.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid are reportedly among the clubs keen to fire up their forward lines with the recruitment of Osimhen, who remains hot property despite enduring an injury-ravaged 2023-24 campaign so far.

While a future move to the Premier League or LaLiga is still entirely possible, De Laurentiis on Saturday revealed Osimhen is on the verge of agreeing a new deal at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

He told Gazzetta ahead of Sunday’s clash with Inter Milan: “With Osimhen we are at the stage of signing the contract, the one that has been left pending since last summer.”

Napoli’s other superstar is Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has made a huge impression since making his unheralded switch from Dinamo Batumi last year.

De Laurentiis is even less concerned about the Georgia winger departing Napoli, though, adding: “Kvaratskhelia still has a four-year contract, what’s the point of asking about him now? Let’s try not to be too negative.”

On the showdown with Inter, which continues a baptism of fire for new boss Walter Mazzarri, De Laurentiis said: “We don’t have a left-back. Two are out injured.

“Then we have a new coach, to whom we have given a huge responsibility, because he has had to immediately face Atalanta and Real Madrid. Now we have another tour de force as we play Inter and then Juventus.

“Are two days enough to prepare for Inter, without two full-backs? It seems a bit difficult to me. Then five days to prepare for Juventus… we have to lay all our problems out on the table so we can be objective about them.”

Alessandro Zanoli will face a late check before the match while left-backs Mario Rui and Mathias Olivera are out for three weeks and two months respectively. On Inter’s treatment table are defenders Benjamin Pavard and Alessandro Bastoni.

Jayson Tatum was perplexed by the decision to eject him from the Boston Celtics' win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, claiming the officials were "ready" to throw him out of the game.

Tatum was ejected with just two seconds to play in the third quarter after he caught Robert Covington in the face with a flailing arm near the sideline.

The foul was upgraded to a flagrant one upon review, with the four-time All-Star subsequently remonstrating with referee Nick Buchert and interrupting the officials' huddle, which saw him awarded his second technical foul of the game.

A series of Covington free throws saw the Sixers take the lead after Tatum's dismissal, but the Celtics rallied for their third win in a row as Al Horford and Jaylen Brown finished with 20 points apiece.

Tatum was still stunned by the call to dismiss him when conducting his post-game media duties, saying of the officials: "They were ready to throw me out. Did I cuss? No, I didn't. I was shocked. 

"They always say, 'get your money's worth. You're going to get fined.' I definitely did not get my money's worth!

"I was extremely surprised. You all saw what happened. You might not know what I said, but I mean, I guess whatever I said doesn't matter at this point. I don't agree with that. 

"One of the assistant coaches was there with me, he doesn't agree. But it doesn't really matter, right? When they throw you out, they throw you out.

"Even if I was right, you know, they could go back and talk about it after the game. It's not like we get that game back, I don't get that time back. 

"It's unfortunate, but like I said, I can't change what happened, just how players compete and affect the game. 

"The refs have an effect on the game. They threw me out, and right or wrong, it's their word against ours. I can't get that time back."

Tatum had 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes on the court. Despite his ejection, the Sixers struggled without reigning MVP Joel Embiid and guard Tyrese Maxey as Boston improved to a league-best 15-4. 

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla did not mind Tatum showing some fight, declaring: "I actually like it, I think some of that is important. 

"Obviously, you don't want it to get in the way of winning. But I think that type of passion and caring… I'd rather see that than nothing at all."

The Celtics will look to stretch their winning streak to four games when they go on the road to face the Indiana Pacers on Monday, before hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers for back-to-back games the following week.

Plymouth’s homegrown midfielder Adam Randell scored a last-minute winner as Argyle came from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Stoke at Home Park.

Randell hammered the ball home after Stoke cleared Luke Cundle’s attempt off the line in a goalmouth scramble caused by substitute Callum Wright’s cross from the left in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Stoke had gone in front through Tyrese Campbell but Mustapha Bundu levelled just before half-time before Randell’s late show lifted Plymouth above Stoke up to 16th in the Championship table.

Argyle started well with midfielder Cundle forcing Stoke goalkeeper Jack Bonham into a second-minute stop.

Top scorer Morgan Whittaker then teed up fellow playmaker Finn Azaz on the edge of the penalty area but his shot flew just wide.

Stoke countered with Ciaran Clark’s header forcing Plymouth keeper Michael Cooper into action from Ki-Jana Hoever’s seventh-minute free-kick.

Hoever then crossed for Campbell to head just over as Stoke started to assert themselves.

Ryan Mmaee’s shot was deflected wide as he ran on to a through ball and let fly from the edge of the box on 17 minutes, and soon Stoke’s pressure told as they took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to some poor Plymouth defending.

A loose back pass enabled the lively Campbell to beat central defender Lewis Gibson to the ball and he made no mistake, drawing out Cooper before side-footing past the keeper into the corner of the goal.

Bae Junho should have doubled Stoke’s lead in the next attack but he fired high and wide.

His pass put Andre Vidigal in down the right on 30 minutes, but the winger blasted his angled shot over from just inside the area.

Plymouth equalised in the 43rd minute when Finn Azaz played in the impressive Kaine Kesler-Hayden down the right.

The wing-back’s pacy near-post cross was superbly converted into the roof of the net by Bundu, who allowed the ball to run across his body before converting with his left foot past Bonham.

Bundu fired over when well placed at the start of the second half and at the other end Cooper saved well with his feet as Mmaee again got behind the Argyle defence.

After 68 minutes Azaz twisted and turned on the edge of the penalty area before looping a pass over the defence to Cundle, whose angled goal-bound shot was well saved by Bonham.

Fit-again Scottish striker Ryan Hardie went close to giving Argyle the lead in the 84th minute, flashing a header just past the near post from Randell’s in-swinging corner from the left.

Seconds later Hardie again went close to putting Argyle ahead as he latched on to a through ball from Azaz before firing just over the angle of post and bar, after good work by substitute Wright in setting up the attack.

In the first minute of injury time, Bonham fumbled Wright’s cross from the left but City cleared the danger, only for Randell to nick a late winner.

National League South side Maidstone came from behind to stun League Two high-fliers Barrow 2-1 in the FA Cup.

A total of 46 places in the league pyramid separate the two sides, but Maidstone made it through to the third round draw thanks to Bivesh Gurung’s superb 74th minute winner.

Barrow threatened in the opening minute when Elliot Newby fired narrowly over the top and the visitors opened the scoring after 20 minutes when Ben Whitfield tapped home, after the Maidstone defence failed to clear Emile Acquah’s flick towards goal.

The Kent side levelled soon after when Sam Corne pounced on a loose ball in the box before drilling past Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman.

Paul Appiah was inches away from adding a second for Maidstone just before the break.

Barrow threatened first in the second half when substitute Sam Foley volleyed off target following Whitfield’s pass.

However, Gurung smashed home from 20 yards to hand the hosts a shock win and a first place in the third round since their reformation in 1992.

Substitute Conor Wilkinson’s stoppage-time strike snatched 10-man Motherwell a 3-3 draw at home to Dundee.

Stuart Kettlewell’s side went in front through Mika Biereth only for the visitors to hit back through first-half goals from Lyall Cameron and Owen Beck.

Bevis Mugabi drew Motherwell level midway through the second half before Harry Paton was shown a straight red card for serious foul play.

Dundee took advantage of the extra man when Zach Robinson scored with two minutes remaining, only for Well to hit back in time added on to claim a point.

The result stretches Motherwell’s winless sequence to 11 matches, while Dundee still move back into the top half of the table despite the concession of that late equaliser.

The home side went in front with the first real chance of the game after seven minutes. Blair Spittal’s effort was blocked but fell to Biereth and the Arsenal loanee’s driven effort hit both posts before landing in the net. It was the first time Kettlewell’s side had taken the lead for three months.

Motherwell were then suckered when Dundee equalised with their first chance of the match.

The home side had two attempts to clear a corner but could not, with the ball eventually looping through to Cameron who headed past Liam Kelly.

Just four minutes later and Dundee were ahead. It was a moment of magic from Beck, the on-loan Liverpool full-back showing great composure after taking a pass from Zak Rudden then finishing neatly.

Motherwell had the first real chance of the second half. Paton found Jon Obika and his left-foot shot slid beyond the far post when a pass to Biereth might have been the better option.

Mugabi then tried his luck from distance, with the defender’s 30-yard effort touched over by Trevor Carson.

But the same player would not be denied just moments later as Motherwell drew level, getting the final touch on Spittal’s cross to glance a header past Carson.

This was referee Iain Snedden’s first Premiership match and he was called to the screen shortly after that goal by VAR Nick Walsh. The official had a look at the footage and showed a red card to Paton for a high tackle on Luke McCowan.

Wilkinson then had a great chance to put the home side back in front but blazed his shot high over the crossbar.

That looked to be costly when Robinson, just minutes after coming off the bench, finished low into the corner but Wilkinson made amends by firing past Carson.

Jamie Gullan’s penalty four mintues into time added on earned Raith a come-from-behind 2-1 win at Inverness.

The home side had led thanks to Billy Mckay’s goal just after the hour, but Lewis Vaughan’s late equaliser and Gullan’s even later penalty turned things around.

Caley went ahead when Mckay met David Wotherspoon’s 61st-minute cross with a terrific header.

But the visitors hit back four minutes from time when Vaughan flicked the ball over a defender and finished.

And there was still time for Gullan to win it from the spot, with the home side having no chance to respond.

Championship bottom club Sheffield Wednesday recorded just their second win of the season as they beat Blackburn 3-1 at Hillsborough.

Bailey Cadamarteri, Marvin Johnson and Josh Windass were on target as the hosts ended the four-match winless run they had endured since they broke their duck against Rotherham in late October.

The in-form Sammie Szmodics had scored an equaliser for the visitors, who would have moved into the play-off places with a win.

Wednesday boss Danny Rohl handed a recall to Windass after suspension, with Johnson making way.

The Blackburn line-up showed two changes with Harry Leonard and Scott Wharton coming in while Tyrhys Dolan and Lewis Travis missed out through injury and suspension respectively.

There was an early blow for the hosts when Dominic Iorfa pulled up inside the opening minute with an injury. After receiving treatment, he was forced to go off.

Cadamarteri, the son of former Everton and Sheffield United striker Danny, opened his senior goalscoring account as he gave the Owls the lead after just five minutes.

On his second senior start, the 18-year-old produced a good near-post finish after connecting with Windass’ low cross.

Blackburn’s Callum Brittain fired off target with an effort from inside the area as the visitors tried to respond.

But Windass threatened twice in quick succession, first with a long-range shot which was well saved by by Leopold Wahlstedt and then seeing an effort blocked.

George Byers also tested Wahlstedt, with the keeper getting down low to his left to make the save.

Blackburn enjoyed a good spell towards the end of the half.

Di’Shon Bernard did well to intercept and clear when Harry Pickering played a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Hayden Carter then had a shot blocked by Bambo Diaby before Szmodics had a couple of chances, seeing a shot on the turn saved by Cameron Dawson and then having an angled effort comfortably saved.

Cadamarteri had a good chance to score soon after the interval, firing straight at Wahlstedt after receiving a pass from Barry Bannan.

Szmodics equalised in the 65th minute when he met James Hill’s cross with a far-post header to score his seventh goal in five appearances.

But Wednesday regained the lead with 12 minutes left when half-time substitute Johnson made a driving run into the area and fired hard and low into the bottom corner.

To add to Blackburn’s woes, manager Jon Dahl Tomasson was shown a red card after protesting to the match officials following the goal.

Wednesday added a third goal in added time when Szmodics’ shot was charged down and the ball fell to Windass, who ran from his own half before slotting past the advancing Wahlstedt.

Grant McCann’s return to London Road ended in defeat as Peterborough moved into the FA Cup third round with a 2-1 win against Doncaster after surviving a late fightback.

Harrison Burrows opened the scoring after just three minutes with an incredible piece of luck that saw his cross from the left sail over everyone and bounce into the top-right corner.

Kwame Poku and Ricky-Jade Jones both wasted great one-on-one opportunities to add to the lead in the first half but it was Ephron Mason-Clark, a McCann signing, that added the second after 53 minutes.

After picking up the ball on the right of the box, he cut inside and hit a brilliant curling effort right into the bottom corner.

The League Two side responded to the setback well and pulled a deserved goal back with 15 minutes to play when Mo Faal powered home a header from Joe Ironside’s cross.

Doncaster almost completed the comeback in stoppage time but Kyle Hurst’s volley crashed back off the post.

Gavin Sheehan was overcome with emotion as a stroke of good fortune allowed him to steer Datsalrightgino to a thrilling Coral Gold Cup triumph at Newbury.

The 31-year-old is no stranger to the big-race winners but was thrilled to partner Jamie Snowden’s improving seven-year-old to a brilliant local victory.

However, things could have been a lot different if Newcastle’s Fighting Fifth card had survived the piercing cold snap that has reared its head over the past seven days, with Sheehan booked to head to the north east to ride another of Snowden’s stars, You Wear It Well.

In the end, Newcastle’s misfortune was Sheehan’s gain as he deposed Tom Cannon aboard Datsalrighgino to add one of the season’s biggest races to his burgeoning CV.

“The plan was for Newcastle was to be off,” quipped Sheehan.

“It’s massive (for me). You go through these things in your head beforehand and how the race is going to work out or whatever and I thought, ‘I will nearly start crying if I win this race’.

“It means a lot, it means everything. It is a very, very hard race to win and with it being the local track and everything it’s great to have done it and I’m not crying now, but I would have been crying if Newcastle had been on and I had seen this lad go past the line!”

A product of Charlie Mann’s finishing school and champion conditional in his formative years, Sheehan shot to prominence when landing the Stayers’ Hurdle aboard Warren Greatrex’s Cole Harden in 2015.

In recent years he has made the switch across Lambourn to join Snowden, but has never left the training hub he has called home throughout his career and has now added a race all who reside there hold dear to his roll of honour.

“It’s very special and one of the big races of the year and one of the races you dream of (winning) and now I’ve done it,” added Sheehan.

“It was only the other day I was watching videos of horses who have won it in the past in the car with Jamie, the likes of Denman and looking at Ruby (Walsh) and how wide he went when he won and you are kind of working out how the race is going to be run.

“I had done my homework, but I had free rein of what to do and then when it pays off, well it’s freezing, but I’m sweating with adrenaline and everything has just come true.”

Datsalrightgino’s victory was also a vindication of Sheehan’s assertions that he was now ready for a step up in trip having rapidly enhanced his reputation with some fine performances during his novice chasing campaign.

“I did think this lad had a chance and all of a sudden the ground came up right for us thankfully,” the Irishman added.

“Everything worked out a treat and I kept on telling Jamie we would be better off up in trip.”

He went on: “He dosses through a race and at the end he comes good and I was praying that was going to happen today as he wasn’t going. I was jumping brilliant but was just behind the bridle. His jumping was just unreal.

“When I turned in I knew I had a great chance, but you don’t know because you are stepping up in trip and everything. The further he was going the more confident I was getting.

“I was getting there a bit early and I thought this is where he starts to excel and be at his best and I nursed him down to the second-last and kept his mind on the last. That was the only one where he put in a short one but he was quick away and I always knew I was going to win.”

Further luck has come to Sheehan’s door as he has linked up with Snowden at a time that big-race glory is no longer a rarity and having tasted Cheltenham Festival success together last year, the rider now dreams of more special days provided by his Lambourn ally.

“It is very special, Jamie is a great boss and a great friend,” said Sheehan.

“He has a great team and the people who ride them out day in and day out in this cold every day, it takes a lot.

“Jamie is very regimented and everyone knows their job and I imagine they will all head out tonight for a couple of drinks and celebrate it.

“It means a lot to Jamie and the team and for a yard that is growing and developing and seems to be getting better. Hopefully that will be great for me.”

Burnley ended their wait for a Premier League home win in style with a 5-0 rout of fellow strugglers Sheffield United, climbing off the foot of the table and piling pressure on Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom.

Jay Rodriguez needed just 15 seconds to head Vincent Kompany’s side in front and Jacob Bruun Larsen doubled the lead in the 28th minute, with United ending the first half a man down after Oli McBurnie collected two petulant yellow cards in quick succession.

More pain followed for United in the second half as Zeki Amdouni and Luca Koleosho scored two in the space of three minutes before Josh Brownhill added a fifth, giving Burnley their biggest ever Premier League win.

No English league club had ever opened a season with eight home defeats and Burnley could not afford to set that record against a United side who began the day one point better off, with these two starting the day first and second in terms of the worst starts to a Premier League season by promoted sides.

Both Burnley’s wins to date have come against teams promoted alongside them in the summer, but after encouraging displays against Crystal Palace and West Ham, three points offer tangible reward for improving performances.

For United it was another chastening day, the pain of defeat increased by the loss of McBurnie to a needless suspension. There was no sign of the sort of quality that will be needed to get them out of trouble.

Burnley scored the opener with a move straight from kick-off. James Trafford punted the ball forward, Amdouni shifted it to the left and Charlie Taylor whipped in a first-time cross for Rodriguez to head home.

It was the quickest Premier League goal of the season, and made Rodriguez the first player in the league’s history to score in the opening 15 seconds of two separate games, 10 years and one day after he pounced for Southampton against Chelsea.

Burnley doubled their lead when Bruun Larsen got in front of Luke Thomas to reach Dara O’Shea’s long ball, cutting in off the right before passing the ball under the despairing dive of Wes Foderingham.

United’s frustrations soon surfaced. McBurnie, back in the starting 11 after scoring the late consolation in last week’s home defeat to Bournemouth, was lucky to only see yellow for catching O’Shea with an elbow in the 36th minute, leaving Kompany livid on the sideline.

Moments later O’Shea caught McBurnie, who delivered enough theatrics to ensure his counterpart also saw yellow, and Kompany joined both players in the book for his remonstrations.

More was to follow and when McBurnie caught O’Shea with an arm once again in first-half stoppage time, he earned a second yellow card and a head start on the trudge to the dressing room.

Heckingbottom, already forced into one substitution due to an injury for George Baldock, made a triple change at the break as Benie Traore, James McAtee and William Osula came on for Thomas, John Fleck and Cameron Archer.

It meant only half United’s outfield players that started the match were still on for the start of the second half. But it did little to change United’s fortunes and the floodgates opened after the 73rd minute.

Burnley’s third came when United failed to clear a corner and Jordan Beyer headed the ball down for Amdouni to spring between Jack Robinson and Anel Ahmedhodzic before playing the ball beyond Foderingham.

Moments later Koleosho cracked a shot off the crossbar when Foderingham could only parry Amdouni’s shot, but the teenager was soon celebrating his first Premier League goal as he shrugged off a challenge and beat the goalkeeper at his near post.

Brownhill rifled in the fifth from the edge of the box with 10 minutes to go.