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March Boro' feel the force...as resurgent Albion March on...
Darren Stride tangles with Gloucester's Adie Mings, in the League match at Eton Park. As Spring begins to blossom, the Brewers revival continues apace. John Barton's team chalk up four straight wins to earn their chief the Dr. Marten's League Manager of the Month award. Gloucester City are the first to fall, as the Brewers avenge their Trophy defeat with a 2-1 victory at Eton Park. A fortnight after travelling to St Leonards, the Brewers are handed another long-trek to the South Coast to the neighbouring ground of Hastings Town- the fixture planners at their best! Darren Stride scores the only goal at the Pilot Field, setting the Brewers up for back to back matches against old rivals Nuneaton Borough. Steve Spooner heads the only goal at Manor Park, as Boro's Gary Statham is sent off. The match at nuneaton is also marked by the Brewers using the number 8 shirt for the first time since the death of Simon Redfern in October. The club had received special permission to use the number 12 shirt from the start of games, and to leave the number 8 unworn, as a mark of respect to Redfern, who always wore number 8 during his years at the club. Manager John Barton explains "At some stage we had to return to using the number 8 again...With no disrespect for anyone we thought it appropriate to do it now rather than carry things on to the start of next season." Meanwhile , the Brewers Supporters Club starts selling it's tribute badges to raise money for a permanent memorial to Redfern. Proceeds from the badges, which are in the shape of a yellow number 8, will go towards a new trophy to be presented at the end of each season to the club's most promising young player, and a montage of photographs of Simon during his career at the club, to be placed on public display at Eton Park. A satisfying double, and a very encouraging month for the Brewers is completed with another 1-0 victory in the return match against Nuneaton, at Eton Park- David Holmes' eighth minute lob is the only goal of the game.
City curse broken...Martyrs title hopes scuppered...
Young striker Emeka Ejiofor gets his only start of the season, and his only goal, as the Brewers go down 4-2 at Gloucester City. But Albion are soon back to winning ways- a 3-0 defeat of Rothwell Town sees John Barton's men closing in on the top six in the Dr. Marten's League. Things must be going well when Albion can come away from Milton Road with a victory- a brilliant header from Mark Blount gives the Brewers their first win in ten attempts against bogey-team Cambridge City on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, although Burton are somewhat fortunate to come home with all three points. The badges being sold to raise money for a memorial to Simon Redfern, are withdrawn from sale, after a complaint from Redfern's widow Helen, who was upset after claiming not having been consulted about the fundraising scheme.The club will press on with it's plans for a memorial to the Albion star, who died in October. As the season reaches it's climax, there's time for one more barnstorming performance from the Brewers to thrill the home crowd. 1,001 are present for the penultimate home game of the season against Merthyr Tydfil. The Welshmen come to Eton Park as leaders, but need to pick up points to sustain their title challenge, with Forest Green hot on their heals. However, the Brewers are in no mood to be generous as they send the Martyrs packing with another vintage performance. Darren Grocutt opens the scoring with his first goal since re-joining the club, and from then on there's only one team in it. Micky Cotter and Pat Lyons add goals to seal a thoroughly convincing 3-1 victory, which carries the Brewers up to the dizzy heights of third place in the Dr. Marten's League. Albion fans are once again left wondering why their team couldn't produce this kind of form throughout the season. If they had, then surely the title would be heading to Burton instead of to leafy Gloucestershire.
David Holmes (out of picture) gives the Brewers the lead at Tamworth with a beautifully curved effort past the helpless Lambs keeper Albion don't have far to travel for their final away trip of the season - 300 fans make the short trip to the Lamb Ground, for the fourth meeting of the season between the Brewers and Tamworth. And as has been the case throughout the season, there's little to seperate the two sides. David Holmes scores another of the wonderful individualist goals which have become his trademark this season, to fire his team in front, but the first half is marred by the sending off of Micky Cotter for use of the elbow. Ian Bennett levels for Tamworth in the second half after Holmes fluffs two clearcut opportunities to kill off the game, and the points are shared.
On to May and the season's end... Back to previous page Back to season 97-98 index
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