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| March 2001 | 2000-2001 Archive Latest News |
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| 12-3-01 | Brewers bow out | Hereford (h) | |||
| 9-3-01 | Injury crisis on eve of TV clash | Hereford preview |
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| Brewers
bow out
The FA Trophy dream died in front of the Sky TV cameras at Edgar Street on Saturday as the Brewers were left rueing a lacklustre opening spell and a missed penalty from Christian Moore, which between them cost Nigel Clough's side the replay their overall performance merited. The Brewers arrived for the noon kick-off in the throes of a defensive injury crisis, with first choice centre backs Darren Wassall and Mark Blount both absent. David Rennie passed a fitness test to take his place alongside Jason Kavanagh in a makeshift back four, with Alan Davies a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up after returning from his three-month loan spell at Worcester City to reclaim his right back berth. For Albion, perhaps thrown by the early kick-off, the bobbly Edgar Street pitch was real enough, but in spirit the team seemed to be still in the dressing room. Matt Duke had to tip over a header from Phil Robinson on five minutes, and three minutes later the Burton 'keeper was picking the ball out of his own net after Matt Clarke was allowed ample time and space down the right flank to swing in a cross met firmly by the head of Rob Elmes. |
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| To go a goal
down so early in the game was a massive setback to the Brewers' hopes of
adding Hereford to their list of Conference scalps this season, and although
Albion began to come more into their stride as the half progressed, they
never looked like troubling Scott Cooksey's goal, until being handed a gilt-edged
opportunity to equalize ten minutes before half time.
Phil Robinson was adjudged to have handled in his tussle with Neil Glasser just inside the box, and to the disbelief of the home fans, the referee pointed to the spot. The travelling fans braced themselves to celebrate the equalizer, but Moore's tame spot kick was comfortably saved by Cooksey. |
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This
always looked like being the moment on which a place in the semi-final would
hinge, and so it proved as the Brewers, while matching their Conference hosts
stride for stride in the second half, lacked the striking prowess to dig
out the goal they desperately needed.
Aaron Webster, a passenger for much of the game, headed a fine cross from Dale Anderson wastefully wide on 55 minutes, while at the other end a scrambled goalmouth clearance from Robinson's effort, denied the Bulls a second goal. 15 minutes from time came another pivotal point in the game when Dale Anderson was felled in the box by Clarke for what looked a certain penalty, but the referee inexplicably waved play on. Mr Brand continued to provide plenty for the TV pundits to discuss when he showed a second yellow card to Hereford's Paul Sturgess for time wasting, and Nigel Clough attempted to make side's numerical advantage pay in the last ten minutes by bringing on a striker for a defender as David Holmes came on for the excellent David Rennie. Holmes almost made a sensational entrance when, with his first touch of the ball, he sent in a cross-cum-shot which left Bulls 'keeper Cooksey furiously backpedalling to tip over the bar, but far from signalling a late onslaught on the Hereford goal after the sending-off, the Brewers spent the best part of the final stages pegged back inside their own half. |
| As the final
whistle drew nearer, every ball was crucial but when the usually flawless
Neil Glasser hopelessly sliced his cross from the right in the dying
seconds, you knew it wasn't going to be Albion's day.
Disappointment for the Brewers as the dream of a lucrative trip to Villa Park slipped out of grasp, although on the evidence of the scenes at the final whistle - with a mini pitch invasion from the Bulls fans - winning this game meant more to the cash-strapped Conference side than it would have done to the Brewers. The old adage of 'concentrating on the league' may not have seemed particularly encouraging on a day when Margate reclaimed the Dr. Martens League top spot by grinding out a 1-0 win at Dorchester, but if you were looking for reasons as to why Albion find themselves trailing Chris Kinnear's side in the title race, all you had to do was turn on the TV at 12 noon on Saturday. A good side, no cutting edge - that could be the epitaph for the season. |
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| Injury
crisis on eve of TV clash
The Brewers have been rocked by an injury crisis on the eve of their live television debut, and arguably biggest match of the season. Albion travel to Edgar Street tomorrow to take on Graham Turner's Hereford United (12 noon) in a game being screened live on Sky Sports 1, with three key defenders struggling to shake off injuries. Darren Wassall, who made five appearances for the Bulls early in his career, is almost certain to miss the game with a badly bruised ankle, while David Rennie (hamstring) and Mark Blount (back) are also rated doubtful. Nigel Clough, himself a long-term absentee could be forced to field a makeshift central defensive pairing of Jason Kavanagh and David Holmes. |
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| Kavanagh has
played in that position before - it's his favoured position - while
Holmes, a forward, has acquitted himself well at the back in the few
times he's been called upon to do so, but the absence of the two defensive
lynchpins will make a tough task even more difficult, as the Brewers
bid to reach the giddy heights of the FA Trophy semi-finals for the first
time since 1987.
"It's frustrating that the injuries all affect the same position," Clough says in tonight's Burton Mail, "If they'd been spread through the team we could cope much better." Micky Forsyth is the only other potential option for the centre back role, but Clough is reluctant to throw him into the fray for such a big game, after a season spent on the sidelines: "It's ages since Micky last played and I think it's unrealistic to expect him to start the game on what is likely to be a heavy pitch," said Clough. What would have been a massive game anyway has been given even greater importance by the presence of the Sky cameras, although the Brewers will not benefit from a cash bonanza - they will receive the princely sum of £2,500, allocated by the Football Association. This has particularly angered Hereford, who were hoping to benefit from a hefty cash sum to ease their financial problems, as club chairman and director of football Graham Turner explained: "If the weather's bad and people stay at home we could conceivably lose money," says Turner, "It's the first time they've covered the rounds before the final and when it was announced we would get Sky we thought our ship had come in." "We do of course realise that Hereford United versus Burton Albion has not got quite the ring of Manchester United versus Arsenal, but we would have hoped for a more substantial fee." Albion moved back to the top of the Dr. Martens League with Tuesday night's 2-1 win over Moor Green, skipper Darren Stride netting a last gasp winner for the Brewers. Albion went behind to Jamie Petty's 53rd minute goal for the Moors, with Dale Anderson pulling one back 20 minutes later, before Stride volleyed home two minutes from time. Albion's stay on the top is likely to be only a temporary one though, with Margate having the chance to regain the lead with a win at Dorchester on Saturday, and having four games in hand on the Brewers.
Related
Links: Set your video! Sky Sports 1, 12 noon, Saturday... |
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