Youssef Chippo fired Coventry into the last 16 of the FA Cup at Highfield Road.

Midfielder Chippo scored after 11 and 70 minutes to kill off brave Burnley's challenge.

First the Moroccan exchanged passes with Gary McAllister before curling a superb 25-yard shot beyond Paul Crichton and into the top corner.

Then, after Burnley had shown signs of getting back on level terms, Chippo collected Paul Telfer's ball and saw his effort from the edge of the box sneak inside the far post.

Crichton should not have been beaten by that but he had no chance after 74 minutes when Noel Whelan, who had just replaced Cedric Roussel, fired home after good work by Mustapha Hadji.

The win maintains Gordon Strachan's good FA Cup record as Coventry boss, the Scot now having steered his side to the fifth round in all four of his seasons in charge.

But they are yet to progress any further than the quarter-final stage and with their Premiership status fairly secure, a good Cup run would be ideal for the Highfield Road club.

Burnley could not match their exploits of the previous round, when they beat Derby at Pride Park, but they can be proud of their efforts.

They faced a Coventry side which was unchanged from the one which beat Arsenal and drew with Chelsea over the holiday programme and refused to be cowed.

Early on the Sky Blues were rampant and one feared for Burnley, especially when Chippo struck so early.

But they grew in confidence with every failed Coventry attack and in the second half they took the game to their more illustrious hosts before the former FC Porto star completed his brace.

Roared on by 4,000 passionate Lancastrians, who in two days sold out an allocation clubs such as Aston Villa and Derby have failed to take up this season, the Clarets threw everything at the Sky Blues.

With top scorer Andy Payton an ever-present danger up front, they hammered away at a Coventry backline missing five senior defenders and with midfielders Stephen Froggatt and Paul Telfer operating as the two full-backs.

But Paul Williams and Gary Breen stood up to the battering admirably well and despite all Burnley's threat, Magnus Hedman was rarely tested.

That was largely down to the hard graft of Carlton Palmer, who belied his 34 years with another of those all-action displays which he has made his trademark.

Micky Mellon and Paul Cook were never given a second's peace in the Burnley midfield and Palmer broke up a string of Clarets moves in their infancy.

Any hopes they had of causing another upset were ended by Coventry's second but the Second Division outfit, fifth in the table this morning, will now be able to concentrate on their promotion bid.

And they fully deserved the standing ovation they were afforded by the travelling army at the end, while many home fans stayed behind to applaud Burnley off the pitch.

Chippo and Hadji will join up with their Morocco team-mates this weekend in preparation for the African Nations Cup.

The duo have been given permission to link up again with Coventry next Saturday for their Premiership game with Wimbledon as the tournament will not have started by then.

But that will be the last time they pull on a sky blue shirt for some weeks, with the African Nations Cup stretching into February.

And if Coventry fans were ever in any doubt as to how important the pair are to their cause, they were given the proof today.

They were a constant thorn in Burnley's side, running their legs off yet still possessing the creativity required to unlock the Clarets' defence.

Hadji twice set up Robbie Keane inside the Clarets box only for the 19-year-old to fire off target on both occasions.

Keane also saw a drive flash just over before he hit the post with Crichton beaten after seizing on Chippo's cross.

At one stage it looked like Coventry might regret their profligacy in front of goal, with Payton firing just over and then chipping the ball on to the roof of Hedman's net.

But Chippo eased the home side's nerves and from then on it was only a question of how many they would win by.