Burnley 3 Aberdeen 1 (aet, 4-2 agg): Cork and Barnes see off brave Dons

Extra-time goals from Jack Cork and Ashley Barnes spared Burnley’s blushes as they beat Aberdeen 3-1 in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, progressing 4-2 on aggregate.

Despite struggling at times during a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie, Sam Vokes’ away goal gave Burnley an advantage they looked set to capitalise upon emphatically when Chris Wood delighted Turf Moor with a sixth-minute opener.

But Derek McInnes’ men responded with style and character – their belief only growing when 18-year-old Lewis Ferguson acrobatically netted his first professional goal before the half hour.

Both sides had chances during the second half and they remained locked together until Cork’s 101st-minute header and a penalty six minutes from time from Barnes secured a trip to Istabul Basaksehir in the third qualifying round next week.

5 – Burnley have won all five of their meetings with Scottish opponents at Turf Moor by an aggregate score of 19-2. Progressed. pic.twitter.com/UijWae4naQ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 2, 2018

The signs were ominous for Aberdeen when Ashley Westwood collected cheap possession on halfway and floated a pass towards Wood, who caught out the visiting backline and slammed home.

Stephen Ward produced a timely block to deny Aberdeen’s Gary Mackay-Steven but could not complete a headed clearance from the same player’s cross in the 27th minute and Ferguson reacted brilliantly to convert an overhead kick.

Anders Lindegaard – starting in goal for Burnley following injuries to Tom Heaton and Nick Pope – did well to tip Graeme Shinnie’s 44th-minute strike wide and the task became tougher for Sean Dyche’s team when Wood was forced off at the interval.

In between two further second-half chances for Shinnie, Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis thrust out an arm to superbly thwart Wood’s replacement Barnes, while his fingertips were enough to turn Vokes’ 76th-minute header from Matthew Lowton’s searching cross against the bar.

Burnley approached the additional period with renewed vigour and Cork timed his run perfectly to head home substitute Charlie Taylor’s pinpoint cross from the left.

Scott McKenna was harshly penalised for handball as Aberdeen flagged, leaving Barnes to convert from 12 yards and give the scoreline an unflattering slant for the Scottish Premiership side.