Vernam: A win can turn it around for Brewers
CHARLES Vernam says one win could be all Burton Albion need to kickstart a rise away from the bottom of the League One table.
The Brewers are joint bottom on six points with tonight’s opponents, Shrewsbury Town, and Oxford United after all three were beaten on Saturday.
Shrewsbury’s was a sobering 5-1 beating away to Peterborough United, against whom Burton had secured a 2-2 draw last week.
Vernam made his second comeback from a knee injury against Blackpool on Saturday, coming on as a substitute after 57 minutes and immediately looking the Brewers’ biggest threat going forward.
He was instrumental in the equalising goal after 63 minutes, getting ahead of two Blackpool defenders to deliver a wicked cross which Daniel Gretarsson could only turn into his own net.
But that proved in vain when Albion conceded a soft 75th-minute penalty, from which Jerry Yates made it 2-1 to Blackpool.
“It was another frustrating result for us,” said Vernam.
“Coming off the back of that really good performance against Peterborough, everyone was quite upbeat coming into the (Blackpool) game.
“We wanted to take the game to them and I think we were excellent for the first 20 minutes.
“Obviously, then, their goal was a bit of a sucker punch but we came back well and got ourselves back in the game at 1-1.
“It’s just frustrating conceding goals that are avoidable. We were all disappointed in the dressing room because it was another game in which we could have had three points.”
Vernam feels sure the team are closing in on putting more complete performances together.
“It’s important to stay positive and get the focus on to Tuesday’s game, as it’s a quick turnaround, as it will be all season,” he said.
“It’s positive in that we’re playing a lot better football than we have been. We’re putting it together for longer periods as a team.
“We had a lot of new faces coming in in the summer. It takes time to put it all together.
“Blackpool, too, have a lot of new faces this season and they were finding their feet, as we’re finding ours.
“We need to put on a full 90-minute performance and come away with a good result.
“As soon as we pick up that result, three points, I think everything changes.
“At the minute, it looks a bit bleak with where we are in the table but one win and you can bounce back up.
“We are all positive, we’re all still upbeat and we will go into the Shrewsbury game with the same mentality.”
Summer signing Vernam made a bright start to his time with Burton, impressing in the first game of the season at home to Accrington Stanley before picking up his knee injury midway through the second half.
A comeback against Portsmouth lasted only until half-time before the injury recurred but he feels he is completely over it now.
“Definitely it’s been frustrating for me, sort of stop-start, so far,” he said.
“I felt really good coming into preseason after how last season had finished with Grimsby.
“I had been on a good run of form. “But I’ve been working really hard and had great work with the physios, who’ve looked after me really well and I hope now I can help with goals and assists.
“I want to be direct, running at people.
“I want to really get back into it and show the manager what I can do.”