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| Home malaise returns |
| A
late fightback by the 10-men Brewers couldn't rescue a point as Albion went
down 3-2 to Barnet at Eton Park on August Bank Holiday Monday. Trailing 1-0 at the interval to Giuliano Grazioli's 36th minute opener, Albion's task was made even harder when Christian Moore was red-carded three minutes into the second half for using the elbow on Joe Gamble. Things went from bad to worse ten minutes later when Terry Henshaw's sliced attempted clearance ended up looping over Matt Duke and into his own net, and when Grazioli added his second 20 minutes from time, a repeat of the 3-0 defeat inflicted by the Bees on the same day of last season looked on the cards. |
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| But
Albion dug into their reserves of strength to fashion a late comeback which
almost netted them a scarcely-deserved share of the spoils, Robbie Talbot
and Steve Chettle opening their Albion accounts, both with headed goals from
corners by Aaron Webster and Jon Howard respectively. Chettle had the ball in the net again in injury time but the 'goal' was disallowed for offside, denying the Brewers a dramatic late escape, and leaving them with just one point from their first three home games, a record disturbingly reminiscent of last season's dreadful run of home form. Brewers boss Nigel Clough accepted that his side hadn't deserved to win, and made no excuses for Moore's sending off: "We've got no complaints about the result whatsoever," he told the Burton Mail, "We contributed to their first two goals and when you're also down to ten men because someone has got himself sent off then you deserve to lose all thre points... It's the first time we've dropped below a certain level in five games and we'll try and lift it again at Morecambe on Saturday." In other news, striker Craig Dudley has received a reprieve after initially being put on the transfer list by Clough in the Summer. Dudley failed to attract any offers from other clubs, and after apparently improving his fitness levels during the close season, has been given a squad number and a chance to prove himself at Eton Park, coming on as substitute to play half an hour of Monday's game. Meanwhile fellow striker Christian Moore has been stripped of his 'goal at Scarborough on Saturday, the linesman for the game at Seamer Road having ruled that Darren Stride's header had already crossed the line before Moore added his touch. |
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| A promising start |
| Albion's
promising start to the 2003-2004 season continued with a second successive
away win, the Brewers taking three points from their trip to the Yorkshire
coast with a 2-1 victory over hosts Scarborough. Christian Moore converted Darren Stride's header to put Albion in front with just eight minutes on the clock at Seamer Road, and Mark Quayle's leveller for Boro on 19 minutes proved only a brief respite for the home side, Dale Anderson firing home what proved to be the winner two minutes later. The result takes Albion into the top six, with a record of two victories, a draw and a defeat from their opening four games. |
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| The
season kicked off in tropical heat at Stonebridge Road on August 9th, with
a last gasp 90th minute header from debutant defender Ian Wright snatching
three points off Gravesend & Northfleet, who had taken the lead
in the first half through Jimmy Strouts. Jon Howard pulled the Brewers level
before Wright's late intervention. |
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Three
days later and a somewhat cooler Eton Park played host to the biggest attendance
for a Brewers home league match since 1966, but it was the impressively large
Shrewsbury Town contingent in a crowd of more than 3,200 who went
home the happier, Luke Rodgers netting the winner for the Shrews 17 minutes
from time, in a highly competetive and evenly balanced game. The home victory proved elusive again when Stevenage Borough visited Eton Park a week ago, despite another encouraging performance from the Brewers, who were boosted by the news that new arrival Steve Chettle had signed on a permanent contract, the 34-year old former Forest defender having turned in flawless performances in his opening two appearances. Albion went ahead through Dale Anderson's 18-yard effort shortly after the restart, but Anthony Elding's acrobatic effort nicked a point for Boro. |
| While
Saturday's victory in East Yorkshire will have pleased the gaffer, Nigel
Clough will no doubt be keen for his side to make Barnet their first
home scalp of the season when the Hertfordshire side visit Eton Park on Bank
Holiday Monday (kick-off 3pm). It took the Brewers until mid-October to record
their first home league win last season, and that was followed by a further
11-week period without a win in the Conference at Eton Park. That sorry record became a millstone around the team's neck last season and Clough will be keen for his revamped squad to make their mark on home territory sooner rather than later this time around. |
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| Ready for the off |
| The
Brewers brave the motorways of heatwave Britain tomorrow to make the trek
to Kent, as the 2003-2004 Nationwide Conference season gets underway. It's been a Summer of rebuilding at Eton Park with Albion boss Nigel Clough securing no less than seven new signings, and a feared injury crisis involving his new stars on the eve of the big kick-off has been largely avoided. Striker Robbie Talbot and defender Ian Wright have recovered from a virus and a calf strain respectively and are expected to start when Albion take on Gravesend & Northfleet at Stonebridge Road. |
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| However
fellow newcomers Ryan Sugden and Barry Williams will be absent. Striker Sugden
sustained an ankle injury in Tuesday night's friendly against Gresley Rovers,
but is expected to make his Eton Park return in Tuesday's home match against
Shrewsbury Town, while Williams is suspended. |
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The
location of the proposed new ground would seem to be ideal in that the club
will remain in the area of town it's occupied for the past 53 years, while
hopefully alleviating some of the problems which local residents have complained
about in the past, a point the Brewers chairman drew attention to in his
statement: "We are sure a new stadium will be welcomed because of a reduction in noise and light pollution, a larger car park and improved traffic flow as a result of the ground having entrances both off Princess Way and Derby Road," said Robinson. "The existing ground is extremely restrictive for us to be able to improve it further and create the kind of facility which is now really needed for the benefit of our supporters." |
| Also
included in the squad will be eve-of-season arrival Steve Chettle,
the 34-year old former Forest star having joined the Brewers on a non-contract
basis after impressing during the pre-season campaign. The 2003-2004 campaign could be the Brewers' last at Eton Park, with the proposed new stadium set to be completed in time for the start of next season if it clears all the planning hurdles. Plans for the new stadium, to be constructed on land currently occupied by Pirelli Sports & Social Club, were unveiled this week. |
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| News - August 2003 | << main >> |
