Tues 27 Aug 2019, 7.45 Carabao Cup 2nd Rd.
Our interest in this competition ended as we faced a determined and talented Nigel Clough’s Burton at the Pirelli Stadium who, on the night, were just too good. Last seasons semi finalists were taking this very seriously indeed, making one change from the side that played in the league last weekend. This change proved a positive one, the incoming Liam Boyce grabbing a hat trick on the night.
It could have been different if we had taken our first chance in only the first minute. Ellison fed Lewis in the D, he turned his man and wriggled free only for O’Hara in those goal to be out on him like a shot to smother his effort with his legs.
Albion settled well, moving the ball to the flanks with both full backs pushing on and creating many corners all evening. Conlan and Tanner stemmed the tide as best they could but eventually Boyce was left unmarked from a corner and powered home a header from 9 yards to open the scoring on 34.
On the stroke of half time the lead was doubled, Boyce again reacted well to a Sarkic run and cross to tap in at the near post. Halstead made a few decent saves, notably from the dangerous Akins but its tased at 2-0 at the break.
Expecting some sort of reaction, Burton applied pressure early on in the second half to kill the game as a contest. More corners lead to another neat move which Edwards dispatched effortlessly in the bottom corner.
The Shrimps rallied, Lewis again tricking his defender and getting shot low in to the corner which again O’Hara parried with his leg, Kev had a header just wide and an Oates effort flew straight to the keeper, but in truth we were found out on the night.
Albion kept the ball and were incisive throughout, many off the players appeared regularly in the Championship and the gulf in class was apparent.
Brewitt and Wildig battled bravely and we kept plugging away but the class of Fraser and Quinn told again as we cleared hastily for the 13th corner. The corner came in and from an O’Toole header, Halstead and Old stopped it on the line but Boyce reacted quickest to grab his third and the match ball.
Credit the travelling faithful with backing the team to the end, but with six changes made it was on the night a bridge too far.