Third-tier Mansfield Town delivered a seismic shock in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, February 14, 2026, by toppling Premier League side Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor. The League One underdogs, who sit midtable in their division, overcame an early deficit to secure a historic victory and book their place in the fifth round for the first time since 1975—a span of 51 years. For Burnley, already enduring a tough season with only two wins in their last 18 matches, the result marked another bitter setback and intensified scrutiny on manager Scott Parker.
Burnley, managed by Parker, fielded a starting eleven featuring Weiss in goal, with Hartman, Esteve, Bruun Larsen, Foster, Florentino, Tchaouna, Ekdal, Ward-Prowse, Laurent, and Barnes. Notably, James Ward-Prowse, a recent January loan signing from West Ham, was handed his first start after a substitute debut in a midweek victory over Crystal Palace. Parker explained before the match, “It’s another opportunity for him to get minutes. He’s not played a lot of football, albeit here a little bit with the under-21s, so it’s another opportunity for us to see his quality and what he can bring for us.”
Mansfield Town, led by captain Louis Reed, lined up with Roberts, Knoyle, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy, Akins, Lewis, Reed, Russell, McLaughlin, Evans, and Oates. Reed, who has been in fine form in the Cup, had scored three of his four goals this season in the previous two rounds. First-team coach Andy Garner later described him as “man of the match by a country mile.”
The match began with Burnley asserting early control, and in the 21st minute, Josh Laurent broke the deadlock. Laurent, who filled in at right-back, showed composure with a well-taken goal. According to the Burnley Express, “Showed plenty of composure for his goal, which he took really well. Filled in well out of position at right-back too.” Burnley had further opportunities to extend their lead, with the home crowd expecting the Premier League side to pull away. However, wastefulness in front of goal would come back to haunt them.
As the first half ended, Burnley’s missed chances loomed large. Mansfield, perhaps initially overawed by the occasion, regrouped at halftime. Garner revealed, “We had a few words at half-time and we needed to be a little bit better than we were in the first half. Maybe because we were coming to a Premier League club, but we gave the ball away far too much. Nothing to fear, we said ‘go and enjoy the second half and get back into the game’, and that’s exactly what they did. Fantastic result for us.”
The visitors responded with renewed energy after the break. Just eight minutes into the second half, Rhys Oates headed in the equalizer, stunning the home support and shifting the momentum. From that point, Mansfield grew in confidence and began to look the better side, pressing Burnley and forcing errors. Burnley’s defense, including Hjalmar Ekdal, looked increasingly shaky, with Ekdal rated only 5/10 by local media for his performance.
With the game seemingly headed for extra time, Mansfield won a free kick 25 yards out with just 10 minutes remaining. Up stepped Louis Reed, who sensed his moment. He later told the BBC, “As soon as it left my boot I felt it going in. I have been working on them throughout the week. The lads said, ‘This is your moment, go and take it’. Thankfully, I did.” Reed’s sublime strike curled beyond Burnley goalkeeper Max Weiss, who, according to the Burnley Express, “was well beaten by Mansfield’s stunning free kick and not much he could do about the equaliser either.”
The goal sent the traveling Mansfield supporters into raptures and left Turf Moor echoing with boos at the final whistle. Burnley’s fans, already frustrated by a difficult campaign and recent comments from chairman Alan Pace, made their displeasure clear. The positivity from the midweek win at Crystal Palace evaporated in an instant. Parker, under mounting pressure, defended his decision to make nine changes to the lineup, stating, “I don’t think the changes were the issue. The game should be practically out of sight first half, we missed glorious opportunities. Second half, really poor. We started poor, gave them something to hold on to and from that point never really affected anything. Just a really poor result.”
First-team coach Andy Garner heaped praise on Reed, saying, “He has been practising quite a lot and we’ve given him a bit of stick because usually, and I’m not being funny, nine out of 10 times it’ll be over the bar. I think it was a good position, maybe it’s hard for a keeper, you can go both ways, but when you see the net bulge, I couldn’t believe it. I’m so happy for him because I thought he was outstanding today.” Garner also highlighted the significance of the achievement: “That’s massive isn’t it? It’s another record that we’ve broken. This is a fantastic competition, it’s always been a fantastic competition, and for Mansfield Town to get into this position is an incredible achievement.”
For Mansfield, this victory represents not just a place in the fifth round, but a moment of history. The club last reached this stage of the FA Cup in 1975, making Reed’s winner all the more special. The League One side’s journey has been characterized by resilience and belief, qualities that shone through at Turf Moor.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup, fourth-tier Salford City put up a brave fight but ultimately fell 2-0 to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. City, managed by Pep Guardiola, opened the scoring early when Alfie Dorrington put the ball into his own net, and Marc Guehi added a second late on. Guardiola remarked before the match, “Our priority is beating Salford and going to the next round. In this competition, over the last years, [we have been] reaching finals, finals and finals.”
Burton Albion, battling relegation in League One, took West Ham United to extra time before succumbing to a 95th-minute goal by substitute Crysencio Summerville. Norwich City defeated West Bromwich Albion 3-1, while Southampton edged past Leicester City 2-1 after extra time in other notable fourth-round ties.
Back at Turf Moor, the fallout from Burnley’s defeat is likely to linger, with Parker facing renewed questions about his leadership and the club’s direction. For Mansfield and their jubilant supporters, however, the dream lives on. The Stags have etched another memorable chapter in FA Cup folklore, and with momentum on their side, who’s to say how far this run could go?
The fifth round awaits, and for Mansfield Town, the adventure simply gets better. The magic of the FA Cup is alive and well.