Burnley Women 0 United Women 6

Millie Turner, Ella Toone, Lucy Staniforth and Amy Turner found the net in the first half before a double from Kirsty Hanson completed the scoring after the break.

United will now face Leicester City, recent champions of the FA Women's Championship, in the fifth round at Leigh Sports Village, next month.

Returning to club action after the international break, the Reds made a confident start, enjoying the majority of the possession in the early stages of the tie.

After Staniforth had fired over United’s first attempt of the contest, a good sliding block from Burnley’s Cara Bickett moments later stopped Sigsworth from opening the scoring from close range.

Stoney’s side, sporting the white-and-black patterned third kit on a sunny afternoon in Lancashire, were continuing to eye an early breakthrough, with a high number of players getting around the hosts’ box.

Efforts from the edge of the 18-yard area, courtesy of Ona Batlle and Ella Toone, were well charged down but United’s positive start was eventually rewarded with the opener against the third-tier outfit on 11 minutes. Millie Turner rose highest at the back post to squeeze Staniforth’s corner in for the lead.

That advantage was doubled five minutes later, as Batlle found Toone whose first-time effort from the edge of the area made its way into the back of the net, to make it 2-0.

Toone, now the team’s top scorer this season with seven goals, was continuing to have an impact on the game, crossing for Staniforth whose ball back across the box picked out Sigsworth, but the forward’s effort on the stretch fell wide.

A good save from Clarets ‘keeper Lauren Bracewell, using her feet, stopped Toone scoring a quickfire second moments before Staniforth was on target to make it three.

The midfielder’s run in behind was found by Batlle, with the former keeping her composure one-on-one to lob in and open her United account just prior to the half-hour mark.

Having seen her centre-back partner and namesake open the scoring, Amy Turner found the net with the final goal of the first 45 minutes on the stroke of half-time. The Reds’ no.4 diverted Toone’s effort from a corner into the net to make it a four-goal lead at the break.

Toone’s influence continued inside the first two minutes of the second half, when the England international found Kirsty Hanson on the left, who beat a defender before firing low into the bottom corner to make it 5-0.

Hanson got her second and United’s sixth goal following a swift move just before the hour mark. The ball fell to Sigsworth who crashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar, with Hanson in the right place to head the rebound into an empty net.

Christen Press, who came on as part of a triple substitution straight after that goal, nearly made it 7-0, turning on to her left foot in a central area before curling just wide of the goal.

In the closing minutes, Staniforth came close to a seventh strike for Stoney’s visitors. The midfielder, having netted her first goal for the club earlier in the game, saw her latest attempt cannon off the top of the crossbar.

In the final seconds of the game, Bracewell denied Jane Ross’s close-range effort with referee Jane Simms blowing the final whistle soon after to confirm United’s progression into the fifth round of the competition, and a date at home to Leicester City on or around Sunday 16 May.

Before then, attentions return to WSL action for the Reds, with Tottenham Hotspur visiting Leigh Sports Village next Sunday with kick-off at 12:30 BST. 

MATCH DETAILS

Burnley: Bracewell (c); Hamer, Bickett, Fleck; Cooper (Shirtcliffe 66), Worthington, Dykes, Greenhalgh (Owen 77), Hope; Priestley, Thomas (Mapp 72).

Subs not used: Gibbins, Brown, Rathburn, Wilson, Tobin, Rawstron.

Booked: Cooper 41.

United: Earps (Bentley 70); Batlle, A.Turner (Bourne 59), M.Turner, Smith (Thorisdottir 59); Zelem (c), Toone (Jones 71), Staniforth; Sigsworth (Press 59), Ross, Hanson.

Subs not used: Groenen.

Goals: M.Turner 11, Toone 16, Staniforth 29, A.Turner 44, Hanson 47, 58

Referee: Jane Simms.