After struggling to break down an obdurate Burnley defence Women's Championship leaders Liverpool finally eased to a 4-0 3rd round win.

Only one division may separate these two teams, with Liverpool in the Women's Championship and Burnley in the National League North Premier Division, but realistically their was a wide gulf between them.

The Reds are professional and only recently were plying their trade in the Women's Super League whereas the Clarets aspire to be a professional outfit in the future yet for the opening 37 minutes despite constant Liverpool pressure the Clarets defence was rarely threatened.

In fact the nearest we came to a goal was an underhit back pass from Liverpool which almost released the Burnley centre forward Priestley but Laws was quick off her line to clear.

And just when it seemed Burnley would go in at the break level they fell behind to a cruel error after so much dogged defending. A corner was fumbled by keeper Bracewell right under the crossbar leaving Furness the easiest of chances to score.

The Clarets chances of a fightback ended within 11 minutes of the restart as a cross from the right found Furness totally unmarked to smash home her second of the afternoon.

A series of half chances came and went for the Merseysiders until a tired Burnley defence allowed Reds skipper Fahey a glancing header for the third to give the scoreline a more realistic feel.

Number four arrived as again the Burnley defence was absent as Lawley had time to place the ball past the keeper. The Clarets kept pressing for a consolation goal but the difference in quality between the teams was apparent as the few opportunities they created were easily dealt with.

A comfortable afternoon for Liverpool in the end once they had broken Burnley's resistance and a berth in round four when the Women's Super League teams enter.

Full Time

Burnley: 0

Liverpool: 4 (Furness 37, 56, Fahey 76, Lawley 86

Venue: Lancashire Football Association County Ground, Leyland