Fortunately I missed last week’s humiliation by Wigan and most of the negative fallout out from it.
As we headed for the Pirelli stadium, most of the fans had calmed down and there was a determination to put it behind us and see what the team’s reaction would be. As I was last minute, lunch was sausage and chips inside the stadium from their excellent and reasonably priced refreshment bar.
It is always a stiff test playing Burton Albion, especially at their place, where we have never won. They have their own direct, aggressive style which they do very well - lots of pressing and lump the ball forward at the first opportunity with a neverending aerial bombardment.
Ian Evatt reacted by bringing in Paris Maghoma and George Thomasson to toughen up the midfield and Dion Charles returned after suspension - Jon Dadi Bodvarsson was on the bench.
In the first half, we struggled to cope and looked nervous at times. Burton could, and should, have been two up after bad errors, which we managed to survive. It was a relief we reached half time still level. Ominously, Rico Santos was still limping after a bad first-minute tackle, which went unpunished by an otherwise card happy referee. Rico was substituted for Will Forrester at half time. However, the relief did not last long, as they caught us napping within a minute of the restart. It was a low moment but it finally spurred us into action and Dion Charles slotted the equaliser home after a superb pass from Thomasson. From then on, we were mostly on top but still vulnerable to breaks and Nathan Baxter earned his keep with a couple of good scrambled saves. Both teams could have won, both could have lost, so a draw was a fair result, maintaining out miserable record against the Brewers.
The last two matches have provided a reality check after our good start. We are not going to walk this league and we have to find ways of winning against all kinds of opposition. It is a long campaign which will be full of ups and downs. Let’s see where we are after a dozen matches. All teams are trying to establish their credentials at this stage of the season and we need to keep ourselves in the mix. Let’s keep it together.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel