MATT Bee says Burnley FC Women will play with "no fear" when they host Women’s Super League side Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The Clarets secured their place thanks to a penalty shoot-out win over Sunderland AFC Ladies with keeper and captain Lauren Bracewell the hero of the hour saving three of the four penalties she faced.

Now Bee is preparing his side for one of the biggest games in the club’s history against the highest ever ranked side they have faced with United currently sitting in fourth place in the top flight.

But the Clarets boss says his players will be far from overawed and will embrace the challenge they face at Padiham FC at the weekend.

“Sunday is a huge moment for this club, it shows our progress in such a short space of time, stepping out against a side like Manchester United Women,” said Bee. “They are having a great season in the Super League so we know the task facing us. We have to seize this moment and attack it with no fear.”

Having beaten Fylde Ladies 1-0 in extra time the previous weekend, the Clarets were once again taken all the way – this time the tie decided on a penalty shoot-out.

Sunderland dominated for much of the 90 minutes – and hit the woodwork in the closing stages of the first half – but some resolute defending and a solid performance by Bracewell in goal kept the visitors at bay.

Bracewell then came to the fore in the shoot-out, saving three spot kicks as Cara Bickett, Katie Thomas and Megan Dykes all converted to seal victory.

Bee added: “I’m immensely proud of everybody connected with the team. We weren’t at our best but we dug in for each other and our togetherness got us through.

“It was a nervous one, I would have preferred us to do it in 90 minutes, it was the same last week as well but I’ll take a win.

“Ultimately for me, for the players, we’re defined by if we win, that’s something that I’ve always instilled in the players over the four, five years that I’ve been here, is to be defined by winning and we found a way to do that.”