ROLES REVERSED

The boot was very much on the other foot for Burnley on Saturday. Normally they are the underdogs at Turf Moor and they try and turn it into a war of attrition. Now they know how it feels to be the victim of that.

Lincoln turned this into a battle from kick-off and the Clarets got sucked into it. Once involved, they couldn’t navigate a way out.

Perhaps they became involved in the Imps gameplan because it felt so natural to them. This is what they normally do.

But this was an occasion that they should have let their class shine through. Instead they were dragged down a couple of levels and paid the price.

JOEY BARTON

Let’s start with a caveat or two. Barton’s behaviour for Burnley has been exemplary. He wasn’t riled by Grant Hanley’s sly trip on him at Ewood last season, or by Grant Leadbitter’s wild challenge at Turf Moor last April.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Secondly, Graham Scott’s failure to punish Matt Rhead for a challenge that wouldn’t have looked out of place at Towneley playing fields on a Sunday morning in the early stages of the game was an appalling one. It was at least a booking, and could easily have been a red.

But after that Barton became riled and angry. He could easily have seen red himself for a couple of incidents with Rhead and Terry Hawkridge. It was probably his worst day as a Burnley player.

CUP CATASTROPHES

This was another cup nightmare for Burnley. For all of their stunning success in the league in recent years they continue to find ways of being humbled in cup competitions.

After the League Cup of 2013/14 this was the second time in Sean Dyche’s reign that the Clarets had begun to put together a cup run, but it was ended in humiliating circumstances at a time when Wembley appeared to be in touching distance.

Since the start of last season Burnley have been dumped out of cup competitions by teams from League One, League Two and now the National League.

The league is undoubtedly the priority and nobody would swap the remarkable rise of the club for an extended cup run.

But it’s a pretty grim record and defeats to Accrington Stanley and Lincoln City this season do not reflect well on those involved.