November at Pirelli not perfect but it was unbeaten
IT HAS hardly been the easiest of passages, but Burton Albion’s month of home games has been negotiated without defeat – and that is something to build on.
In fact, since losing 1-0 to Fleetwood Town in an after-the-lordmayor’s show performance to follow the thrilling victory over Forest Green Rovers, the Brewers are unbeaten in nine games at the Pirelli Stadium.
It may not have been the most convincing of runs, but it is still a healthy one.
The overall home picture for the season, played 10, won two, drawn three, lost five, in the League does not look great either.
But there have also been two FA Cup wins and three overall victories in the Papa John’s Trophy, when the penalty shootout escape against Tranmere Rovers is counted.
Those five cup games have also yielded a healthy 17 goals.
Albion are comfortably the highest scorers in the bottom nine in the division and have scored the same or more than seven of the top 13 as well, so much as Dino Maamria would like them to convert more of their chances, goals are not the biggest problem for his evolving and, we think, improving side.
They are coming from all over the pitch, too, which has been a feature of Burton sides right back to Nigel Clough’s time.
Clearly, for all that you would say the defence has improved, stopping the opposition scoring remains the biggest issue.
There have still been only two League clean sheets and only two more in the cups.
However, of the 40 League goals conceded, half of them came in seven matches under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
The other 20 have come in 12 games under Maamria, an obvious improvement, and the component parts of the defence do give hope.
Sam Hughes has been excellent, Adrian Mariappa a wonderfully calm and experienced addition, John Brayford is just, well, John Brayford, and long may he last.
Doubtless others will disagree, but Cameron Borthwick-jackson continues to look a more accomplished player than when he first arrived.
The problems tend to come from further up the pitch, a relatively slow reaction sometimes when Burton lose the ball which sees the defence exposed if the opposition have quick runners.
The opposition are scoring in transition, as Maamria often finds himself explaining. Doubtless he is working on it and we can but hope for continued improvement.
December finally sees Burton back on the road and, just adding New Year’s Day, the next month sees critical away games against the other three bottom four sides – MK Dons, on Saturday, Forest Green and Morecambe.
With all four locked on 14 points, six from safety, the importance of those games cannot be over-estimated.
Frankly unpredictable home games against Derby County and Lincoln City complete the League schedule for the month, which also includes the Papa John’s Trophy last 16 game at home to Accrington Stanley, a match with £40,000 on the table, which would, if won, take the Brewers to £110,000 from the competition so far this season, £2,000 more than they have so far from the FA Cup wins, excluding Sunday’s TV money.
It will all count in the January window, but what is crucial is that Albion do not, once more, reach the end of the year eight points adrift of safety.
The date for the Papa John’s Trophy home game against Accrington has been confirmed as Tuesday, December 13, with a 7pm kick-off.