Sunderland 0, Burnley 0

It's now 11 games without a win for the Clarets on their travels; with just one point accrued from nine fixtures in the league while they were dumped out of the EFL Cup by Accrington Stanley in August.

Boss Sean Dyche rang the changes for the third round tie, handing goalkeeper Nick Pope and defenders James Tarkowski and Tendayi Darikwa their second starts of the term while Joey Barton returned to make his second debut for the club.

Just weeks after the two sides played out a five-goal thriller in the Premier League on New Year's Eve, a game which the Clarets won 4-1 courtesy of Andre Gray's hat-trick, there seemed to be less of a motivation to progress in to the next round of the domestic cup competition in front of a half-empty Stadium of Light.

Gray had the best chance of the game as early as the fifth minute when strike partner Sam Vokes allowed Darikwa's cross to run through his legs but last season's Championship player of the year swept the ball high and wide from close range.

Black Cats midfielder Jack Rodwell hasn't scored since the final day of the previous campaign, netting the opener in a 2-2 draw with Watford at Vicarage Road, but he looked the likliest player to get the ball rolling for the hosts.

The former Manchester City man had Pope scrambling to his post with a piledriver from 20 yards out but the ball sailed just wide.

Sunderland's defending at Turf Moor was highly lamentable and the Clarets eased their way through to almost open the scoring at Wearside.

Scott Arfield's excellent slide-rule pass helped Vokes turn goal side of Papy Djilbodji but the striker couldn't find a way past Vito Mannone.

At the opposite end, following a slight lull in the game, Rodwell let fly from a similar position to his first attempt of the afternoon but the ball once again travelled wide of the upright.

And with the final chance of the opening 45 minutes, Pope collected Adnan Januzaj's shot at the second attempt after Jermain Defoe dummied Djilbodji's pass.

There wasn't too much action to report in the second stanza though it was the Clarets that shaded the contest.

Rodwell threatened again for the hosts with another attempt from outside the box which Pope did well to flick over the crossbar.

Chances were few and far between but the best fell Burnley's way. Steven Defour, recalled to the starting XI, delivered the corner and Tarkowski's header came back off the post.

David Moyes's men created very little after the break but they might feel slightly aggrieved that referee Stuart Atwell ignored penalty claims when Defoe went to ground under the challenge of Darikwa.

Then, in a final attempt to avoid a replay, substitute Ashley Barnes worked his way in to a good position from Darikwa's pass down the right hand channel but blazed over the angle when under pressure from John O'Shea.