Mariappa at the death as Burton salvage a point against leaders
BURTON Albion secured a dramatic and deserved point at home to League One leaders Plymouth Argyle when Adrian Mariappa scored a stoppage-time equaliser to see the game end 2-2.
The Brewers had dominated the first half and thoroughly deserved a half-time lead given to them by the first goal of Bobby Kamwa’s career but Argyle upped their game after the break and showed why they are now unbeaten in 15 League games.
Albion had done enough, though, to deserve something from the game and just when it looked as if they would get nothing, Mariappa popped up in the box to score his first Football League goal for nine years.
It was just reward, too, for a bold, positive approach from Burton, who were determined to take the game to the leaders from the off.
That was clear from the very attacking line-up manager Dino Maamria sent out, with Joe Dodoo and Kamwa coming in for full debuts alongside Victor Adeboyejo up front.
Mariappa returned in defence and Ben Garratt returned in goal, with Joe Powell, Jonny Smith, Ciaran Gilligan and Viljami Sinisalo dropping to the bench.
Plymouth immediately showed that they were prepared to get the ball forward quickly but two long balls went harmlessly through to Garratt.
The first time Burton got forward, Terry Taylor’s cross was comfortable for Plymouth keeper Michael Cooper.
Dodoo escaped with a talking to after a clumsy challenge on Jordan Houghton in the 11th minute before Argyle’s Matt Butcher went down and needed treatment.
It was a start with little goalmouth action but it was Burton in the ascendancy and Deji Oshilaja won the game’s first corner, on the left, in the 15th minute. Taylor’s inswinger was headed out for another, as was his second, this time on the right, but they all came to nothing.
Oshilaja was late with a challenge on Houghton in the 17th minute and he did collect the first booking of the game.
Kamwa and Adeboyejo combined nicely to set up Cameron Borthwickjackson in space for a shot from the edge of the box in the 20th minute but he hit it a foot too high.
Nigel Lonwijk was booked when he tripped Oshilaja, who had escaped from him, on the left wing in the 26th minute but Taylor’s free kick was cleared and an offside flag went up when Sam Hughes returned the ball into the box.
Not much had been seen of Plymouth getting forward but they won their first corner, on the left, in the 35th minute, Hamer and Oshilaja both winning headers to clear it.
Hamer sent in his first long throw after 36 minutes and Kamwa had a tame header saved by Cooper, who threw the ball quickly to send Morgan Whittaker racing away but Taylor had seen the danger and got back to halt him, eventually winning a free kick.
Whittaker was next in action cutting in from the right to hit a shot which was deflected for a corner, which Oshilaja also cleared.
In the 40th minute, Burton had the best chance yet, Adeboyejo making space for himself and shooting, Cooper pushing it away at full stretch to his left for a throw-in.
And from this, Burton took a deserved lead, Hamer’s throw from the right causing a scramble in the box before Kamwa, who had been lively, smashed the ball in at the far post.
Hughes headed wide next after Burton worked a corner short and Taylor crossed from the right and the Brewers were pushing hard up to half-time.
The second half started with Plymouth, predictably, trying to build a head of steam and it was a spell in which Burton needed to stand firm.
Taylor, making a good interception, fired an ambitious shot high and wide after 54 minutes, then Plymouth made two changes, bringing on forwards Ryan Hardie and former Burton loanee Niall Ennis.
They made a difference. Hardie soon had a shot blocked by Hughes as the pressure continued, Argyle now playing towards their vociferous travelling support.
Tyler Onyango shot wide after nicking the ball on the edge of the box in the 58th minute as Albion responded but he was also booked soon after for a trip on Brendan Galloway.
The Brewers could not quite see out Argyle’s onslaught, although they appeared a little unlucky to concede the 63rd-minute penalty from which the visitors equalised.
Hamer tried to clear the ball ahead of Ennis and the pair fell in a tangle of legs, referee Martin Woods pointing to the spot. Hardie buried the penalty and it was Plymouth’s first shot on target.
Hughes beat two men in a burst out of defence in the 66th minute, sending Dodoo away down the left for a curling shot which Cooper palmed away high to his left.
Joe Edwards’ shot from 20 yards was straight at Garratt as the frantic action continued but Argyle, who had gone more direct, were certainly now looking more like league leaders than in the first half.
And they took the lead in the 74th minute when Bali Mumba raced clear down the inside left channel onto a pass from Ennis and finished decisively from 15 yards.
Not for the first time, a lot of hard work looked as if it may go to waste for Burton and they brought on Joe Powell, Sam Winnall and Mustapha Carayol for Dodoo, Kamwa and Onyango in the 76th minute.
The attacking was more desperate now, where it had been controlled in the first half, and the Brewers were not making much impression as the
It was just reward for a bold approach from Burton, who were determined to take the game to the leaders
game went into six minutes of stoppage time, with Garratt beating away a strong shot from Whittaker.
Two late Burton corners were cleared and it really did not look like their day when Powell appeared to be clattered from behind in the box by Ennis as he shaped to shoot and the referee saw nothing amiss.
However, with the seconds ticking away, a clash of heads between Hamer and Mikkel Miller led to a drop ball 35 yards out on the right, which gave Taylor the chance to lift one last ball into the box.
Hughes won the first header, Winnall did superbly to keep the ball in with one from the bye-line, Hamer headed it across goal and Mariappa buried the decisive fourth header.