Brewers burst out of slump in style with a storming win
LEAGUE ONE: BURTON ALBION 4, CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2
THE best match of the season – and comfortably Burton Albion’s best performance – at the Pirelli Stadium brought them a much-needed 4-2 win over Charlton Athletic.
The Brewers were unrecognisable from the team that had been beaten so tamely by Northampton Town on Saturday, with a string of impressive displays through the team.
Every bit as important as the fact that they scored four goals was the shape and organisation that was evident as they ended the Addicks’ seven-match unbeaten run in League One.
In the ongoing search for a winning formula, the Brewers made five changes from the team which started Saturday’s 3-1 home defeat, with Neal Eardley and Indiana Vassilev dropping out of the 18 altogether.
Kieran O’Hara, Colin Daniel, Joe Powell, Charles Vernam and Sam Hughes, after his one-game suspension, all returned to the starting lineup.
The Charlton line-up included
Andrew Shinnie, brother of Derby’s Graeme.
An uneventful start suited the Brewers after conceding so early on Saturday and neither side did anything of note in the first five minutes until Powell tried his luck from 20 yards but it was a comfortable save for Ben Amos.
A neat passing move almost produced an opening for Ryan Edwards in the eighth minute but Albion were ahead a minute later.
Akins intercepted a poor pass from Chris Gunter in midfield and drove forward. His shot was halfsaved by Amos but Akins was able to win the race for the loose ball and finish the job from close range.
Charlton’s first chance, in the 15th minute, saw Omar Bogle’s first-time shot deflect into the air off Michael Bostwick and O’Hara did well to tip it over the bar.
It led to a spell of pressure from the Addicks, with three corners, O’Hara getting a solid punch to the third to clear the danger.
Burton’s first corner was comfortably caught by Amos but the first 20 minutes had been as good as anything the Brewers have produced this season.
Gunter’s deliberate handball as a ball forward was beating him, with Akins in behind him, might have earned him more than a yellow card in the 30th minute but Burton made nothing of the free kick.
Although the game had gone into a quiet spell in terms of goalmouth action, the Brewers were snapping into challenges and forcing errors from their visitors as half-time approached.
Suddenly, the game exploded into life.
Burton had a good chance in the 39th minute when Stephen Quinn picked out Daniel on the left and he hit a lovely first-time cross but Edwards could not keep his header down from 12 yards.
A minute later, though, it was 2-0 when Edwards put Amos under pressure and the keeper cleared the ball only to Powell, who scored with a neat finish.
The good work was partially undone two minutes later, though, when Charlton pulled one back from a corner.
Burton missed several chances to clear and Paul Smyth was able to hammer the ball in from close range.
Powell’s corner from the right reached Bostwick beyond the far post after 44 minutes and he brought the ball down but shot wide.
Burton began the second half with a strong drive forward by Edwards but what looked to be a good cross by Daniel was well claimed by Amos.
A spell of Charlton possession yielded nothing and the Brewers scored a third goal in the 53rd minute.
Charlton gave away a needless corner which Powell worked short with Akins before Vernam crossed from the right. Amos brilliantly saved a header from Hughes but could do nothing to stop him ramming in the rebound.
Hughes was in crucial action in the 59th minute, clearing an effort from Alex Gilbey off the line, then O’Hara dived to his left to push away a fierce angled drive from Albie Morgan on the right, who had just come on.
A brilliant finish by Chuks Aneke got Charlton back in the game again in the 67th minute.
He controlled a cross from the right on his chest and hit a shot over his shoulder and beyond O’Hara to the keeper’s left from 12 yards.
Aneke threatened again two minutes later but Bostwick did well to block his shot and Hughes matched it with a block from Connor Washington seconds later as Burton found themselves under pressure and needing to stem the Addicks’ new-found momentum.
They broke out with a 60-yard burst by Edwards but the move ended with Quinn shooting well over from 20 yards.
A better way to break the pressure was a fourth goal and Vernam provided it in the 76th minute, keeping possession through several challenges on the left and exchanging passes with Akins.
His first shot was blocked but he smashed in the second from 10 yards out on the left for his first Burton goal.
Vernam, who had been outstanding, almost added another with a curling effort from 22 yards which passed with Amos beaten after 82 minute.
Six minutes of stoppage time meant a nervous finish, for all Burton went into it with a two-goal lead. but they survived it with few alarms and have a win which could do wonders for morale.