Omens are good for Albion in clash with Gills
BREWERS IN SEARCH OF END TO THEIR UNWANTED WAIT AT THE PIRELLI
THERE are plenty of omens, if you like omens, about a meeting with Gillingham for Burton Albion today.
The burning one that will keep getting repeated until the unwanted record is broken is that the Gills were the last team the Brewers kept a clean sheet against – 35 games ago, in February.
It was a drab goalless draw in which Steve Evans’ Gillingham appeared unambitious at the Pirelli Stadium and went away with the point they had come for.
But Gillingham were also the opponents immediately after another managerial change, when Nigel Clough returned to the club for a second time to replace Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in December, 2015.
Owing to a prior commitment, Clough was unable to attend his first game back in charge, Andy Garner overseeing a comfortable 3-0 win which kept Burton on top of League One.
Nor were Gillingham pushovers, as they sat fourth in the table even after the defeat, but a goal from Damien Mccrory put Burton ahead in the 59th minute, Lucas Akins settled the result with a 90th-minute strike and Anthony O’connor put the icing on the cake with a third deep into stoppage time.
And there’s more. When Paul Peschisolido lost the manager’s job in the spring of 2012 after a 14-match run without a win in League Two, the unwanted run stretched to 16 in Gary Rowett’s first two games in charge.
Burton were desperate for a win by any means and it was Gillingham who arrived at the Pirelli Stadium on March 27.
It was a very poor game but, after 54 minutes, Gills goalkeeper Paolo Gazzaniga saved a shot from Jacques Maghoma and the ball trickled in after rebounding off defender Matt Fish for an own goal.
The relief at the Pirelli was palpable as Burton hung on for a 1-0 win and, slowly but surely began the turnaround that would see them promoted three seasons later under Hasselbaink after two failed play-off campaigns under Rowett.
Burton would certainly settle for a scrambled win like that today – perhaps a repeat of 2015’s 3-0 win would be stretching hopes too far though.