SUNDERLAND face an FA Cup third-round replay a week on Tuesday after playing out a dour goalless draw with Premier League rivals Burnley at the Stadium of Light.

Less than a fortnight after conceding four goals in a league game at Turf Moor, a resolute Sunderland never looked like collapsing in a similar manner on their home turf.

However, they failed to ask a serious question of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope at the other end, despite David Moyes selecting a strong side.

The visitors created the better opportunities, with James Tarkowski planting a second-half header against the post and Ashley Barnes wasting a decent late opportunity as he fired over the crossbar.

Having insisted Jermain Defoe was not for sale during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Moyes duly named his side’s leading scorer in the starting line-up despite his obvious importance to the Black Cats’ relegation fight in the league.

Jason Denayer and Javier Manquillo came into the side to replace John O’Shea and Didier Ndong – the former partnered Papy Djilobodji at the heart of the back four – and the hosts just about shaded a fairly unremarkable first half.

Chances were at a premium at both ends of the field, although Burnley should perhaps have taken the lead in the 15th minute.

The hosts had already threatened through Andre Gray’s sixth-minute effort that whistled wide, and they prised the Sunderland defence apart as Scott Arfield threaded through a pass that released Sam Vokes into the area.

Vokes tried to chip the onrushing Vito Mannone, but Sunderland’s goalkeeper successfully kept the ball out.

The Black Cats’ first-half attacking was largely restricted to shots from distance, although they strung together a handful of bright passing moves that tended to falter in the face of some disciplined Burnley defending.

Jack Rodwell fired an 11th-minute effort narrowly wide of the right-hand post, and came close again midway through the first half as he shuffled past former Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton, only to drag another shot wide.

Seb Larsson curled a 25-yard free-kick straight at Pope, and the Burnley goalkeeper was called into action again shortly before the interval as he claimed a deflected effort from Adnan Januzaj.

He made his best save of the game 12 minutes after the break, tipping Rodwell’s goal-bound effort over the crossbar after the Sunderland midfielder pulled the trigger from close to the edge of the area.

That proved a rare second-half moment of excitement, with the game severely lacking in quality as both sides seemed to settle for the stalemate.

Burnley threatened when Vokes broke into the area in the 68th minute, but the impressive Denayer did superbly to cut out the striker’s cross before it could reach Gray.

If anything, it was the visitors who were the more threatening side in the latter stages, and they came within inches of claiming the lead with 15 minutes left.

Steven Defour delivered the Clarets’ first corner of the game from the right, and Tarkowski out-jumped the Sunderland defence to plant a powerful 12-yard header against the post.

Burnley threatened from another set-piece with four minutes left, but despite having plenty of space in the area, Vokes could only head Defour’s corner wide.

Sunderland could barely get out of their own half in the final ten minutes, but Burnley were unable to forge a breakthrough, with substitute Barnes firing their final chance over the bar after brushing aside Djilobodji to reach a long ball over the top.

Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mannone; Manquillo, Denayer, Djilobodji, van Aanholt; Love, Rodwell; Borini, Januzaj, Larsson (O’Shea 84); Defoe.

Subs (not used): Mika (gk), E Robson, Honeyman, Embleton, Asoro, Maja.

Burnley (4-4-1-1): Pope; Darikwa, Keane, Tarkowski, Ward; Gudmundsson (Hendrick 72), Defour, Barton, Arfield (Kightly 60); Vokes; Gray (Barnes 72).

Subs (not used): Robinson (gk), Lowton, Mee, Marney.