Top of the table Burton Albion get deserved victory against young bulls in disappointing display
Wednesday saw us lose the last unbeaten league record in the PLFL, and we lost it in disappointing fashion. Irrespective of the scoreline the performance wasn't good enough, especially first half, and for the first time since we lost at Bilston in the Youth Cup we looked like boys against men. As a coaching staff we were worried prior to the game, the attitudes and effort level were well off from last weeks Monday and Tuesday's training sessions. It is easy to be excited and up for a game against Chelsea, but how good is your mentality to do it week in week out?? That's what I asked the players before the game, if we wanted to win the league they had to show it against Burton, and we didn't.
With windy conditions and the sun low enough to be in our eyes the game started quite scrappy, neither team able to take hold. James Obern had the first chance but Matty Owens cross was just too far in front of him to connect properly. One team was always going to get a foothold and it was Burton, they won the individual battles all over the pitch and that effectively would win them the game. The first goal came from a corner, a good ball in was met with a powerful header for 1-0 on 32mins and it was 2-0 5 minutes later. Chris May let the ball bounce in the box and then clipped the strikers feet for a penalty. The 3rd goal was disappointing from our point of view, after playing Burton two weeks ago their game plan was clear. Get the ball forward quickly to the winning front man, and a big clearance from the edge of their own box saw him go through one on one against James Aurelius in goal. 3-0 and we hadn't even got started. We did however get a lifeline, Tom Gameson continuing on from last week and squeezing a left foot shot in the near post just before half time.
We hadn't won a second ball all first half and that is what we needed to do better in the second period along with smarter balls. Knowing when to play to feet and knowing when to stretch the game but I let them know that Toms goal was a lifeline and the next goal had to be ours. We came out a different team and the ball was in Burtons half for just under ten minutes before we shot ourselves in the foot. A poor pass in midfield allowed them to thread the ball through for another one on one and no mistake was made, 4-1 and effectively the game was over for us. When in centre midfield you have to make sure with the ball, it was around 4 seconds from losing it to them scoring and that is lesson our centre midfielders need to learn fast. We still played better than the first half, Alex Lilwall smashed a shot off the bar after good work from Will Lawley and Obern to give us a chance at another lifeline but we wouldn't of really deserved it. Burton then scored with their only real chance of the second half when Aureluis should of done better with the shot.
We were poor overall and the worst thing is that we got out battled. It is the worst way to lose a game, the same way we lost our only previous game of the season. Burton now sit 13 points ahead of us and we have 3 games in hand on them, a mountain to climb if we want to win the league but something the boys have got to keep in their sights. We take on Bury away next week who sit bottom without a point this season, it is a massive test of mental strength for us, win and we are back on track, draw or lose and we enter the Christmas break on huge low. We have a big week ahead of us with a small squad due to injuries and a lack of bodies, but we will go to Bury to win the game.
Team: James Aurelius, Liam Taylor, Simon Morgan, Matty James, Chris May, Lewis Fletcher, Carlos Moreira, Robbie Trumper, Matty Owen, James Obern, Tom Gameson
Subs: Will Lawley, Alex Lilwall