Frustrating Burton are two steps forward, two back
Burton Albion would be beyond the halfway point in the League One season in terms of games played by now if Covid-19 had not caused the last three games to be postponed. As it stands, they are one match short of halfway but, even so, it has been an eventf
BURTON Albion’s spectacular start, with three straight wins in League One, had been tempered by a 3-0 defeat to Cambridge United and a drab draw with Cheltenham Town, so it was hard to predict what might happen against probably the wealthiest of the three promoted sides, Bolton Wanderers, as the Brewers entered September.
The Trotters were on a high, although their own unbeaten start had also been ended by Cambridge, despite them having 74% of possession.
Against Burton, they edged that up to 75% and had 25 shots but only four of them were on target and the Brewers defended heroically to escape with a 0-0 draw.
Bolton also had a “goal” chalked off after Eoin Doyle, in an offside position, skipped out of the way of Kieran Lee’s 30th-minute shot as it slid past Ben Garratt.
Burton had John Brayford sent off for a second yellow card after 86 minutes and it was a hard-won point.
Next up was another disappointing home draw, 1-1 with Gillingham, although Steve Evans’ side were distinctly more enterprising than they had been in their previous, goalless, visit to the Pirelli Stadium.
They led through Vadaine Oliver after 18 minutes but Kane Hemmings equalised a minute after halftime, pouncing on Michael Bostwick’s flick on from a Tom Hamer long throw.
The game might have had a spectacular end as Daniel Jebbison, on for his debut after 71 minutes, raced clear in the last minute but had his shot saved well by Gills keeper Jamie Cumming.
The Brewers really did run out of steam when they visited winless Crewe Alexandra next. All memories of the marvellously effective performance in a 3-0 win at Gresty Road the previous season were soon erased as Crewe overcame a sterile Burton performance without having to do too much to collect their first win, by 2-0.
Burton were by now showing a tendency to concede goals early in games, giving themselves a mountain to climb, and Lincoln City were ahead in the 10th minute at the Pirelli. They made it 2-0 five minutes after half-time and Conor Shaughnessy’s first goal for the club, after 86 minutes, was not enough to stave off defeat.
The game also extended a worrying statistic. Since Hasselbaink’s return, the Brewers had been unable to win a game in which they had the majority of possession, in this case 55%.
Hasselbaink’s still-strong record had been built on wins while the other side had more of the ball.
The next opponents, Portsmouth, therefore suited Albion, a team who, under Danny Cowley, would assuredly keep the ball for long periods.
Pompey had 69% possession and did almost nothing of note with it. Tom O’Connor drove in his first goal for the club after 32 minutes and Jebbison’s first, curled in from 20 yards, was a peach after an hour.
The teenager then conceded a free kick from which Pompey pulled one back four minutes later but Burton held on in comfort for a muchneeded win.
It was their first in eight games and saw them sitting 10th in the table at the end of September.
October almost began with a win, Hemmings, ever the poacher, intercepting a poor back pass to shoot Burton ahead away to AFC Wimbledon, who equalised in the 90th minute with a good job almost done.
It was also the day John Brayford sustained a bad hamstring injury when he was fouled in only the first minute and he has not played since.
In-form Plymouth Argyle could not be stopped next at Home Park, going top of the table with a 2-1 win, one goal coming from former Burton loanee Ryan Broom.
Lucas Akins pulled a goal back after an hour and although Jebbison missed a good chance for an equaliser late on, it would have been daylight robbery.
There was another early goal for the opponents next at the Pirelli, when Liam Gibson put Morecambe ahead after three minutes.
But in a breathless opening, O’Connor equalised direct from a corner after six minutes and Shaughnessy buried a splendid header after 14 minutes. O’Connor’s second, curled in as he cut in from the right, after 49 minutes, put the Brewers in control and Cole Stockton’s stoppage-time goal to make it 3-2 made
Burton were by now showing a tendency to concede goals early in games, giving themselves a mountain to climb
Morecambe look closer than they had been, although they had had 60% possession.
Albion followed it up with a gritty 1-0 win away to Fleetwood Town, O’Connor remarkably putting a corner straight into the net again, aided by the fierce wind that is usually a feature at Highbury.
The only consistent thing about Burton so far this season, though, has been their inconsistency and just as things seemed to be looking up, they ended the month by being dominated by both Oxford United, who won 3-1 at the Pirelli, then Wigan Athletic, who won 2-0 at the DW Stadium, a game which quite bizarrely saw Jonny Smith sent off for a high boot as he tried to control the ball, the sort of incident that passes without comment half a dozen times in any match.
October ended with Burton ninth – it truly was turning into a season of two steps forward and two back.