SHERIDAN IS LEFT FUMING
FURIOUS Plymouth boss John Sheridan launched a stinging attack on his players after watching his side crash at Burton.
Callum McFadzean’s 26th minute strike wrapped up the points for promotion-chasing Albion to leave Argyle’s own playoff hopes dangling.
Sheridan’s side are now five points offYork in the final play-off spot but can cut the gap by beating Newport on Tuesday.
Speaking after the game an angry Sheridan said his side had thrown a great opportunity away and needed to show ‘the mentality of winners’.
“I am very disappointed with the performance,” he said.
“You cannot perform like we did. Burton looked like a team that wanted promotion, we played like a team that is just happy to stay in this division.
“I have told the players my views after the game. I just wish the players would go out with the mentality of winners.
“To be successful I need players with an edge and I don't have many of them at the moment.
“We just have to believe, but I feel we have thrown away a wonderful opportunity over the last few weeks.
“We are trying to build something at this club where we can be successful and I am very disappointed by the hunger of the players.”
The defeat could have been so much worse had it not been for the heroics of goalkeeper Jake Cole who produced four superb firsthalf saves.
Cole acrobatically tipped Billy Kee’s effort over the bar on 15 minutes, before he turned Jimmy Phillips’ thunderous effort against the post three minutes later.
McFadzean bagged his first goal for Albion on 26 minutes after shooting through Cole’s legs following poor defending by Neal Trotman.
But Cole kept his shell-shocked side in the contest as he saved twice from Damien McCrory on 32 and 45 minutes.
Plymouth rallied slightly in the second half with Reuben Reid and Conor Hourihane both tested Rob Lainton with half-chances.
But Argyle never really looked like scoring as rock-solid Burton recorded their 17th clean sheet of the season.
The result leaves Burton just three points behind Chesterfield in the final automatic promotion place, with the two sides set to meet on 27th April.
Delighted boss Gary Rowett said:“We just want to keep putting pressure on the teams above us. Chesterfield drawing shows that we are putting pressure on them.
“We just want to win as many games as we can. Every game from now until the end of the season is a massive game.
“I think we played the best we have played all season at home in the first half.We created plenty of chances and probably should have taken some of them.
“We knew Plymouth would be better in the second half and they made us work hard for the win.
“I would love to win by three or four goals, but our solidity is our strength.”