Brewers hit back to claim a point after poor first half
LEAGUE ONE: CHELTENHAM TOWN 1,BURTON ALBION 1
A MIXED bag of a match included much that Burton Albion have been getting right and just as much that they have been getting wrong before honours ended even at Cheltenham Town’s Jonny Rocks Stadium.
The two sides have finished both of their games at 1-1 and are separated by one place and two points in the middle of the League One table.
Cheltenham, uncomplicated and efficient, are making a good fist of their return to this level and their new loan signing, Daniel N’lundulu, promises to add a good bit of bite up front for the rest of the season.
The Brewers just about deserved a point after putting a dire first half behind them. What is inexplicable about Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s squad is that they are occasionally turning in halves like this, when finding a team-mate with a simple pass seems beyond them and they lump the ball long in attack, something which is never going to suit Daniel Jebbison, who started in this one.
Even the reliable Ben Garratt sent one short pass out to the left skidding out of play in the first half.
Kane Hemmings was left out of the 18 ahead of the surprise postmatch news that he is talking over a move, the club having accepted an offer for him.
The Brewers made three changes from the team which beat Crewe 4-1 last week, with Ryan Leak and Hemmings out, although Leak was named on the bench, and Harry Chapman’s loan having ended.
In came Jebbison, Terry Taylor and Tom O’Connor, while striker Louis Moult was named on the bench for the first time after recovering from his ankle injury.
Cheltenham got on top right from the start when a slack pass from Charlie Lakin led to them having a corner in the third minute and N’Lundulu hit the bar when this came over from former Brewer Chris Hussey, who deservedly collected the home side’s man of the match prize.
At left wing-back and delivering most of the set-pieces, he is an integral cog for Cheltenham.
Matty Blair picked up a booking for Cheltenham when he hauled back Jacob Maddox as he broke but Blair also made a strong run forward and had a shot blocked before Sean Long shot over from distance.
The goal Cheltenham had threatened came after 21 minutes when John Brayford did well to head away a Hussey cross but the ball fell to the edge of the area, where Callum Wright buried a fierce volley beyond Garratt, to his left.
It was a touch harsh on Brayford and clearing headers have fallen kindly for the opposition all too often this season.
The captain was already having – and continued to have – a fine match, blocking, clearing, tackling
and providing some good moments pushing out of defence.
Cheltenham continued to dominate and Garratt touched a 20-yard shot from N’Lundulu away for a corner after 37 minutes before Brayford was briefly stunned making a typically brave block in the box.
He was frustrated by how much he was having to do and exploded in fury at his team-mates at the lack of cover from up ahead a few minutes later, with Burton unable to keep possession for any length of time.
Cheltenham really should have doubled their lead after 44 minutes when a long clearance from keeper
Owen Evans went straight to Alfie May on the edge of the box but Garratt timed his challenge to perfection to block the shot with his legs.
In stoppage time, O’Connor had a shot from the edge of the box deflected wide for a corner and Jebbison, after flicking the ball over a defender, headed towards goal, Evans falling on the ball to save comfortably, but it had been a very poor half from the Brewers.
Hasselbaink sent on Lucas Akins at half-time for Lakin and the change in approach immediately worked, Akins putting himself about and giving Cheltenham something different to think about.
The Brewers looked more urgent and equalised in the 51st minute