Can Albion find inspiration like Kightly’s goal in latest survival fight?
SUNDERLAND IN TOWN THIS TIME FOR A CRUCIAL MATCH
IF Burton Albion were to beat Sunderland on Saturday, people would really start to believe in the likelihood of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s Great Escape – if they do not already.
Victories at home to Hull City a fortnight ago and Northampton Town on Saturday have done a lot to raise hopes already.
It was around this time that similar hopes were raised by a couple of big results in the Brewers Championship survival season.
On the equivalent weekend to the one coming up, the Brewers recorded a terrific 2-1 victory at home to Norwich City and Michael Kightly scored a wonderful goal which proved to be the winner.
Wind the clock back two weeks from then and Kightly’s signing on a loan deal until the end of the season on transfer deadline day had excited Burton supporters.
He had played against the Brewers in the Conference for Grays Athletic but been picked up by Wolves, for whom he played 127 games and scored 22 goals.
Spells had followed with Watford, Stoke City and Burnley.
Kightly scored on his debut to equalise against Wolves at the Pirelli Stadium, when another loanee, Cauley Woodrow, scored a crucial stoppage-time winner.
The following week, the Brewers were brought back to earth by a 4-1 battering away to Brighton & Hove Albion, on their way to automatic promotion, but Kightly netted again, a fine free kick.
Norwich were still chasing the play-offs when they arrived on February 18, fresh from thrashing Nottingham Forest 5-1 to get within two points of the top six.
They had brushed Albion aside 3-1 at Carrow Road earlier in the season and though Woodrow gave Burton a first-half lead, the Canaries looked set to take control when Camerone Jerome scored a somewhat fortunate equaliser in the 52nd minute, a misshit shot smashing off his face into the net.
Instead, four minutes later, came Kightly’s moment of genius. It also owed much to Woodrow, who picked the ball up in his own half and measured a long pass to meet Kightly’s run.
One perfect touch both controlled the ball and took it away from Norwich centre-half Russell Martin, now the MK Dions manager, then Kightly’s second touch saw him lift the ball over goalkeeper John Ruddy into the net.
It was the start of a six-game unbeaten run which gave the Brewers the impetus to confirm their Championship status.
They followed with an impressive goalless draw away to Derby County.
Kightly’s signing on a loan deal until the end of the season had excited Burton supporters
Kightly scored one more goal, to put Burton 2-0 up against Leeds United and on their way to a 2-1 win which left them needing only a point to secure survival in their penultimate match, away to Barnsley, which they achieved with a 1-1 draw.
Kightly’s career was winding down, as it turned out. He had had a series of knee injuries and returned to his first club, Southend United for two seasons, appearing twice as a substitute against Burton when Southend did the double over them in the 2018-19 season.
He retired before the end of that season before briefly making a return for Rushall Olympic in the Southern League at the start of this season.
It will be too soon to know if a win over Sunderland on Saturday could point Burton towards survival this time but it would be yet another massive step in the right direction.