Poor Albion may have to find Plan B on the road
BURTON Albion’s poorest performance of the season brought them their second League One defeat and stretched their run without a win to five.
Crewe Alexandra secured their first win of the campaign, 2-0, in some comfort and without playing particularly well. The stats that show Burton had 19 shots to nine are misleading. Crewe keeper Will Jaaskelainen had only two difficult saves to make.
Quite why the Brewers are suddenly finding life difficult away from home, where they were at their strongest under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink last season, is something the manager himself is struggling to put a finger on, at least publicly.
What seems clear, though, is that other teams are now wise to Albion’s preference to soak up pressure and play on the counter. They will have to find more than one way.
They have scored only once in four games on the road, to win against Shrewsbury Town on the opening day, and look tentative. The relentless intensity that has characterised their game is missing.
But Hasselbaink is right to say it is not a time for panic or despondency. A long injury list is clearing, a long list of new players are still settling in and a lot of the season remains.
Hasselbaink made one change to the starting line-up, captain John Brayford returning in place of Frazer Blake-Tracy, while fit-again centrehalf Ryan Leak was on the bench.
But things did not go well from the start. After only three minutes, Charlie Lakin was booked for a late challenge on Callum Ainley. It seemed a case of the referee, Ross Joyce, making a point about what was and was not acceptable; the problem with that is when the card does not come out for each similar foul, as it did not.
Crewe soon looked dangerous. Ben Garratt had to make a double save in the fourth minute, getting down to shots from Scott Robertson and Callum Ainley with his feet.
Burton had their first sight two minutes later when Lakin made a good interception and played the ball in for Kane Hemmings but the striker’s shot deflected off Lakin, who had continued his run, for a goal kick.
Crewe took a 10th-minute lead as Burton’s own goal jinx struck again.
The home side broke out of defence with a strong run by Ainley and when the ball was spread wide on the left wide to J’Neil Bennett, his shot across the six-yard box was diverted past Garratt, who had it covered, by Michael Bostwick’s outstretched foot.
Burton had plenty of the ball but, almost playing Crewe at their own possession-based game, could not find the same fluency in their passing.
Their best first-half chance came after 36 minutes when a Tom Hamer long throw was cleared to Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, 25 yards out, and he volleyed powerfully. The shot was half-blocked, then spilled by Jaaskelainen but when the ball fell for Harry Chapman, eight yards out, the keeper recovered to block his shot when it seemed he must score.
Borthwick-Jackson and Hemmings were also booked in the first half, the former justifiably for two attempts to haul back Scott Robertson,
the latter a soft one, in a frustrating first half.
With Borthwick-Jackson also having had lengthy treatment for a knock, it seemed likely Hasselbaink would make a half-time switch, which he did, bringing on Bryn Morris.
With Morris, Tom O’Connor and Deji Oshilaja regaining fitness, it is likely we have seen the last of Borthwick-Jackson filling in in central midfield.
The Brewers started the second half better. After two long throws from Hamer, Lakin angled a fine pass diagonally across the box for Brayford, charging in at the far post, but he could not quite make telling contact.
Chapman scarcely had a chance to run at Crewe, something he had done so well against Gillingham the previous week, but when he did, after 54 minutes, he was pulled back by Luke Murphy, who was booked.
He took the free kick, from 25 yards, but it dipped too late and passed a foot over the bar.
Burton came closest to an equal
iser after 58 minutes, when Hamer burst forward into the box, evaded a couple of tackles and picked out Hemmings with a short cross from the left.
Hemmings’ header was seeking the top corner but Jaaskelainen brilliantly touched it away at full stretch to his left.
Burton were down to 10 men for the second successive away game after 68 minutes when Lakin caught Scott Kashket on the touchline and was given his second booking. The Crewe player’s laughing celebration of the event, rubbing a non-existent injury, in front of the Burton supporters did him no credit.
Joe Powell replaced Chapman a minute later, a change that had been coming before the sending-off, and Daniel Jebbison replaced Hemmings.
Neither were able to get into the game much, although Burton continued to try to push for an equaliser.
An overhead kick from Conor Shaughnessy, well executed, following a Hamer throw, might have brought a 78th-minute equaliser had it not been straight at Jaaskelainen.
Then, as the Brewers left gaps at the back, Crewe scored again in the 88th minute, the impressive Bennett, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, running clear down the left on to Josh Lundstram’s pass.
He cut inside to beat Garratt with a sharp low shot and it was game over.