<< main >>

 top

Tuesday 24th February  2004

Colkin is first to go

Nigel Clough has begun his latest team rebuilding programme by telling Lee Colkin he can find another club. The 29-year old joined the Brewers from Morecambe in the Summer, and despite becoming a popular figure among the supporters, has failed to find favour with the Brewers boss, who picked out Colkin's dubious fitness as a factor in his decision to let the player go: "Lee's not done too bad when he's been fit but I don't think he's played many consecutive games since he joined us," Clough told the Burton Mail, "His injury problems have been a disappointment and we're happy with our left side partnership of Aaron Webster and Sam Shilton."

Lee Colkin - no future at Eton Park    pic: bafc official

Colkin arrived at the club as a left back but has more often been called upon to play a left side midfield role when he has been fit, with Clough preferring the consistent Webster, in the left back berth. Colkin meanwhile has been offered a trial with Third Division strugglers Boston United as he seeks to find a club for next season. Colin Hoyle could make his return to the Brewers ranks tonight when Albion travel to Shrewsbury Town (kick-off 7.45pm) with no sign of a let-up in their growing injury list. Steve Chettle suffered a recurrence of his back injury in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Exeter City, and with Terry Henshaw, Ian Wright and Darren Stride, all on the injured list, Clough may have to call on the services of Hoyle, who has spent most of the season away from Eton Park on loan to other clubs. Goals either side of half time from Gareth Sheldon and Steve Flack condemned Albion to defeat at St James Park on Saturday, the second in a daunting spell of four away trips to leading opposition which started at Hereford, continues at Gay Meadow tonight, and ends up at league leaders Chester City a week on Saturday. Forest Green Rovers meanwhile, are the visitors to Eton Park this Saturday, 28th February.

Saturday 14th February  2004 Hornchurch 0-1 Brewers

Last gasp Urchins kill off Brewers Trophy dream

The Brewers' ambitions of reaching the FA Trophy Quarter Finals for the third time in four years ended in heartbreak as a last minute goal at Ryman League Hornchurch sent them crashing out of the competition. Managed by fiery former Aldershot Town boss George Borg, and with substantial financial backing from a mystery benefactor, the up-and-coming Urchins had already dumped Stevenage Borough out of the competition, as well as beating Third Division Darlington in the FA Cup, so the Brewers were under no illusions that a tough task awaited them in the Essex hinterland.

A concerned gaffer    pic: ian leech | bafc official

With a substantial travelling support in the tidy but windswept athletics stadium Hornchurch call home, Albion looked like carrying on where they left off a week earlier, with Nigel Clough having named the same team which performed so admirably against Hereford at Edgar Street, and after a lively start they were in front on 18 minutes, skipper Darren Stride leaping to head home Sam McMahon's free-kick. The home side had looked nervy, but the goal seemed to spur them into life, and within five minutes they had drawn level, John Martin's blistering run down the left culminating in a searching ball into the box where Albert Brayley was on hand to drive the ball home. The Brewers suffered a further blow when the impressive Ian Wright was forced out of the game through injury, to be replaced by Steve Chettle, and further changes were to follow, with Craig Dudley being brought on at half time for the out-of-sorts Andy Corbett. Dudley showed early promise with a furrowing run down the right flank before shooting high, but as the half wore on the game developed into midfield stalemate. It wasn't until the latter stages that Albion really threatened, Dudley wastefully skewing his shot well wide after good build-up play, and a momentary late siege of the Hornchurch box couldn't find a Burton boot to make the all-important connection.

Andy White holds off his marker in typical sturdy fashion in Saturday's FA Trophy Fifth Round tie at Hornchurch    pic: bafc official

Hornchurch had looked a skilfull side throughout, and with them being the only full-time outfit below the Conference, fitness was never likely to be an issue as the game reached into injury time, and so it proved as the Urchins stepped up an extra gear to snatch the tie right at the death. The Brewers had already been issued a warning with substitute Jon Keeling being allowed acres of space on the left flank, but firing tamely at Matt Duke, but it was a warning unheeded as, to the horror but perhaps not surprise of the Brewers fans, and with an Eton Park replay looming, Keeling picked up a through ball from Brayley before racing into the area and slotting the ball past a helpless Duke.

As heartbreaking as it was to go out in such a fashion and to lower league opposition, on the balance of play it was a fair result - the Ryman League side have proved themselves a capable outfit already this season, and on Saturday simply showed themselves to be more 'hungry' for the victory than Albion's patched-up collection of loan signings, fringe players, and jaded old pros. Meanwhile the injury situation does not look like getting in the short-term, with Darren Stride being forced to exit midway through the second half in Essex with a groin injury which could keep him out of action for some time. It's now a case of 'concentrate on the league' for the Brewers, and the games don't get any easier, with a long trek to the West Country to take on Exeter City on Saturday (3pm), followed three days later by an equally daunting trip to Shrewsbury Town (7.45pm).

 top

Saturday 7th February  2004 Hereford United 1-2 Brewers

Double diamond!

What a difference a week makes. Just seven days after their lacklustre performance against Kettering provoked boos from a section of the home fans, an Albion side boasting three new signings pulled off a shock 2-1 victory to complete a double over title-chasing Hereford United, putting a severe dent in the Bulls' championship campaign. The 4-1 victory over then league leaders Hereford at Eton Park back in September remains one of the highlights of the season so far, and Saturday's win at Edgar Street, along with the midweek replay victory at Kettering, have provided a much-needed morale boost in a season which appeared to be flagging alarmingly.

Robbie Talbot receives the acclaim of the travelling fans after netting the winner at Hereford    pic: ian leech | bafc official

Their recent form, and more pressingly an injury crisis which left no less than ten players unavailable for the trip to the Welsh marches, led to Brewers boss Nigel Clough giving debuts to three players. Former Kidderminster midfielder Sam Shilton has signed until the end of the season, while striker Andy White and defender Alex John-Baptiste both arrive on a month's loan from Mansfield Town.

Loan signing Andy White caused Hereford problems all afternoon    pic: bafc official

Bearing in mind their respective league positions and recent form, Hereford went into the game hot favourites, and with the Conference's biggest crowd of the day behind them,  threatened a convincing victory when they emerged from a frantic opening spell to take the lead on 15 minutes. New boy Baptiste, who played against the Brewers while on loan at Tamworth last month, brought down Steve Guinan in the box, and Tony James converted with assurance from the penalty spot. A crucial block from Darren Wassall prevented Hereford adding to their lead before debutant Andy White, a thorn in Hereford sides all afternoon, capitalized on indecisive defending from the home side to pull Albion level, drilling the ball past Bulls 'keeper Matthew Baker. And it got even better for Alboin shortly after the break, when a quickly taken free-kick from Sam McMahon, and even quicker reactions from Robbie Talbot, allowed the Brewers striker to nip in and give the Brewers what proved to be the winning goal, despite ferocious pressure from Hereford, whose defeat, along with leaders Chester City's last gasp win over Farnborough, leaves the Bulls trailing a whopping eight points behind Mark Wright's team.

As satisfying as the result itself is the part played in the result by Robbie Talbot, who has answered his critics in the best way possible - by netting the winning goal twice in the space of a week, a result which should lift the confidence of him and the rest of the team as they travel to Ryman League Hornchurch in the FA Trophy Fifth Round next weekend. Meanwhile Clough's team rebuilding could continue with the Brewers boss revealing this week that Kettering winger Richard Graham is another transfer target, after impressing in the Poppies' two games against Albion.

 top

Tuesday 3rd February  2004 Kettering Town 1-2 Albion

Talbot goal sees Brewers progress

Shot-shy striker Robbie Talbot silenced his critics to help Albion into the last 16 of the FA Trophy, after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Kettering Town on Tuesday night. Kettering looked set to build on the achievment of holding the Brewers to a 1-1 draw, despite having their goalkeeper sent off, on Saturday, when Jason Turner gave the home side the lead, 14 minutes into the replay at Rockingham Road. But Albion fought their way back into the game within two minutes of the restart, Jon Howard capitalizing on good work from Aaron Webster to squeeze the ball in at the near post.

Robbie Talbot - ended goal drought to score winner as Brewers progressed to last 16 of FA Trophy    pic: bafc official

With neither side able to break the deadlock, a nervy 30 minutes injury time ensued, but Albion put themselves in the driving seat when Talbot, the butt of so much criticism from the terraces of late, broke through to put the Brewers in the lead. And it was Matt Duke, another villain of Saturday's match, who was to confirm Albion's passage into the Fifth Round. Terry Henshaw was adjudged to have fouled a Poppies player and it was Craig Norman, who himself faced a penalty as a stand-in 'keeper on Saturday, found himself on the other side of the box facing Matt Duke, with a chance to bring the home side level. Duke dived to his left to push the penalty to safety, and the Brewers weathered a late onslaught of pressure from Kettering to book themselves a trip to another Ryman Premier Division club, Hornchurch, in the next round on Saturday 14th February, the first time in their history Albion have visited that corner of Essex. In the meantime, the Brewers face the daunting prospect of a visit to the second placed team in the Conference as they travel to Edgar Street, the home of Hereford United, in league action on Saturday (3pm), when the Bulls will be keen to avenge their 4-1 drubbing at the hands of the Brewers back in September.

top
News - February 2004	<< main >>
home
e-mail us