COD ARMY HAVE BAD RECORD, SO FAR, IN
GAMES WHEN THEY HAVE CONCEDED FIRST
ONE statistic will not have gone unnoticed on the Burton Albion training ground this week as they prepare for Saturday’s League One trip to Fleetwood Town.
Joey Barton’s side were beaten 2-0 away to high-flying Luton Town – Burton’s next League opponents after their Highbury test – in their last outing.
It was Fleetwood’s eighth defeat of the campaign – and the seventh time they have failed to take a point after conceding the first goal.
While they were succumbing to Harry Cornick’s strike and an own goal from Craig Morgan, the Brewers were capitalising on Liam Boyce’s third-minute opener to beat Shrewsbury Town.
On a wet and windy afternoon at the Pirelli Stadium, playing at a high level of intensity was not easy.
But, for the first half-hour against the Shrews, Burton were at their high-energy best and Boyce got his reward by charging down a goalkeeping clearance to register the first goal.
Their pressing game was wellorganised and disciplined, yet frantic when it needed to be, with the attacking midfield ranks of Scott Fraser, Jamie Allen, Jake Hesketh and Will Miller leading the efforts.
That energy and intensity is key to Albion’s game, both with and without the ball, and it has caught a few teams cold this season.
It was most notable in the impressive 3-1 win at Walsall last month.
Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and Southend United are other sides who have been outplayed by Albion in the first half of games.
Nigel Clough has spoken about wanting those fast starts every week and there has been disappointment when they have not materialised.
He will certainly be stressing its importance ahead of Saturday’s game – especially if his side can grab the first goal.
Like the Brewers, Fleetwood’s campaign has been dogged by inconsistency – and the club are level on 27 points at this stage.
But one recurring factor seems to be the Cod Army’s struggles to battle back from behind – so, testing that resilience could be a crucial factor of this weekend’s clash.
Making a fast start is one thing, of course, but maintaining performance levels is another entirely.
It was not a surprise to see Burton fade slightly before half-time against Shrewsbury, as the intensity of their early efforts seemed to take a toll before the break. The Shrews grew into the contest from there.
In the second half, the hosts were playing into the wind and that had a much bigger impact.
The 2-1 home losses to Southend and Charlton provide examples of when the Brewers have taken the lead but ultimately lost to late goals as their opponents held firm and then caught them out.
It was a repeat issue in Albion’s seven-month winless run at the Pirelli last season, too.
Burton have to manage their efforts over an entire 90 minutes, because they have not yet been ruthless enough to kill games off in a short spell.
Almost all of their games have been in the balance, one way or the other, heading into the final 10 or 15 minutes, so being able to muster an exerted period of pressure at that stage can be crucial – something they achieved on Saturday, finishing strongly with Scott Fraser’s 81stminute goal against Shrewsbury.
With tough-looking away trips to Middlesbrough (in the Carabao Cup) and Luton to follow in the days after Fleetwood, the fitness and energy levels of the Brewers’ squad will be severely tested.
That is unlikely to stop them from looking to hit the Cod Army early on Saturday, though.
Making a fast start is one thing, of course, but maintaining performance levels is another entirely
Joshua Murray Marcus Harness gets away from Shrewsbury Town’s Omar Beckles after coming off the bench for Burton Albion on Saturday.