Southampton 0-1 Burnley: Marcus Edwards nets on his Clarets debut to send Scott Parker’s side through to the FA Cup fifth round

Marcus Edwards enjoyed a dream start to life at Burnley after coming off the bench and scoring the winner to seal a fourth round FA Cup victory over Southampton.

It may have only taken 20 minutes for him to find the back of the net on his Burnley debut but it was a goal that had been years in the making for the 26-year-old.

From his early days at Tottenham – where he was dubbed the ‘Mini Messi’ – to his developing years spent in Portugal, Edwards had to work hard to score his first goal in English football.

Initially, it seemed it would be a rough welcome back for Edwards after he was sent crashing to the ground just minutes after being brought on in the second-half.

But the Clarets’ new man wasn’t fazed. He picked himself up, went again and in the 77th minute was repaid with the all-important goal for the visitors.

After a defensive mishap, Edwards linked up with former Man United academy star Hannibal Mejbri to unlock the Saints defence before smashing it in from close range.

Marcus Edwards came off the bench to score the winning goal just days after joining the club

Scott Parker’s side now await the draw for the fifth round of the FA Cup on Monday evening

Speaking about Edwards’ debut, Burnley boss Scott Parker insisted there is much more to come from the winger. ‘I was really pleased with Marcus,’ he explained. ‘He’s someone that we need to take care of.

‘But he was brilliant when he came on and I’m absolutely delighted that, on his debut, he scores a winner for us in front of the away fans.

‘I’ve been around Marcus for some time now and I know his qualities. Even today, the game became alive when he got the ball. So, we’ve got big hopes for Marcus’.

For Southampton, meanwhile, it was an all-too familiar feeling. Plenty of possession, an attack-minded approach and, yet, little to show for it come the full-time whistle.

Their struggles in front of goal could be excused by Burnley’s immense defensive record this year – which has seen them concede just nine league goals and collect 22 clean sheets.

However, even with the wholesale defensive changes made by Scott Parker, the Saints struggled to break down the visitors despite having the lion’s share of possession.

It was a frustration shared by manager Ivan Juric post-match. ‘I thought it was a really good performance until we conceded. We had lots of moments and lots of chances – but we still weren’t able to score.

‘I think the moment we had to score was with Manning’s chance. Normally, he scores these chances. We created lots of opportunities and so we’re disappointed with the result’.

Tyler Dibling went close for Southampton but the teenager saw an effort cleared off the line

Saints boss Ivan Juric was left frustrated as his side failed to make their possession pay

Their best opportunity, without a doubt, came during the first-half when a rare mix-up in the Burnley defence created a gilt-edged chance for both Ryan Manning and Tyler Dibling.

Manning had the first strike at goal, which was well saved by Burnley keeper Vaclav Hladky, before Dibling watched as his rebound was cleared off the line in stunning fashion.

It was Dibling’s first outing at St Mary’s since the close of the winter transfer window, where some had expected the highly-rated teenager to make a move away.

For now, he remains a Saint. Beyond this season, however, it seems unlikely the talented 18-year-old will be plying his trade on the south coast.