Poor from both sides in Pirelli draw

Burton Albion and Fleetwood Town showed why they are struggling in League One as they battled out a dire 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium. The Brewers were not lifted by the bonus of Joe Powell’s early penalty, nor could Fleetwood be lifted by a brilliant equaliser from Junior Quitirna two minutes after it. Both sides repeatedly wasted possession, despite attempting to build from the back.

It was, all in all, a dreadful advertisement for the division and, from Burton’s perspective, very much the old cliché “after the Lord Mayor’s show” following their excellent win away to Port Vale in midweek. The biggest positive was in not losing and at least it is four points in a week for the Brewers – had they taken a point against Vale and then, as would have been more expected, beaten winless Fleetwood, it would arguably have looked a better week overall.

For the first time in almost 12 months, the Brewers were unchanged, following Tuesday’s first win of the season. Former Brewers loanee Ryan Broom lined up in midfield for Fleetwood.

Albion lost the ball in midfield in the first minute but Jack Marriott’s shot as he broke into the area on the right was straight at Max Crocombe.

The Brewers also stole the ball from Fleetwood in the third minute but Tom Hamer took a heavy touch and could not get a shot away from 20 yards. Hamer’s first long throw, in the sixth minute, led to a second, which Sam Hughes headed tamely wide.

Burton had a free kick on the left 40 yards out in the seventh minute and Powell’s delivery was nicked off Hughes’ head for a corner on the right but after this was half-cleared, a poor pass from Mark Helm, who had skipped past two tackles on the edge of the box, saw the attack break down.

When applause broke out in memory of Hussein Quig-Diop in the 13^th minute, the ball went out for a goal kick and Staffordshire referee Oliver Yates stopped the game and joined in the applause, a nice touch.

He blew for a penalty in the 17^th minute when Ben Heneghan took out Helm in the box and though Jay Lynch stopped Powell’s first effort, to his right, the Burton midfielder slammed in the rebound to put Burton ahead.

It really ought to have settled the Brewers down but Fleetwood equalised out of the blue three minutes later when Quitirna turned 25 yards out on the left and hit an astonishing first-time shot which dropped over Crocombe and into the corner to the keeper’s left. "I actually don't know where that strike came from – I have never scored a goal like that in my career,” the player said afterwards, having scored his first in the Football League. No disrespect, but he may never again.

Mark Helm is about to be tripped by Ben Heneghan for Burton's first-half penalty. (Image: Mick Haynes/ Epic Action Imagery)

A quieter spell followed but Fleetwood built a little pressure towards the half-hour mark, although a tame shot from Promise Omochere, easy for Crocombe, was all that came from it. At the other, end, Helm’s shot was just as tame, and wide, after a promising Burton break led by Steve Seddon’s burst forward. Jasper Moon needed treatment after this and limped off, to be replaced by Ryan Sweeney in the 32^nd minute.

Crocombe was sharply down to his right to save a shot on the turn from Aristote Nsiala after a Fleetwood corner in the 38^th minute. Neither defence was looking especially secure.

Crocombe was booked for dissent in the 42^nd minute after objecting to a petulant foul on Kwandwo Baah by Quitirna, who had lost the ball to the Burton man and reacted badly. He was fortunate not to see a card himself.

In first half stoppage time Burton were relieved to see Kabongo Tshimanga shoot high and wide after Promise Omochere broke forward and teed him up on the right.

Fleetwood had an early corner, on the left, in the second half and stayed on the attack after it until Marriott shot hurriedly over from the edge of the box. It was a scrappy start to the half though and both sides were surrendering possession too easily.

Mustapha Carayol lost the ball on the edge of the Fleetwood area trying to make a chance for himself in the 54^th minute and when the visitors broke, the move ended with Broom blasting high and wide from a tight angle on the right. Deji Oshilaja, who had struggled to get into the game, was much higher with a shot out of the ground from 20 yards two minutes later. It was becoming a theme.

Fleetwood brought on the experienced Jayden Stockley for Tshimanga after an hour and Burton sent on Josh Walker and Kegs Chauke for Helm and Carayol two minutes later. It was Fleetwood who were looking more likely to find the next goal at this stage but moves were still breaking down at both ends.

Quitirna was not far wide of Crocombe’s right-hand post with a 68^th-minute shot from the edge of the box before Phoenix Patterson replaced Omochere for Fleetwood.

A free kick wide on the left gave Burton the chance to create danger in the 75^th minute but Hamer could not get over Powell’s delivery as he met it at the far post.

Baah, for whom nothing had gone right following his fine display on Tuesday, was replaced by Josh Gordon in the 82^nd minute. Powell was the latest to blaze over from outside the box in the 85^th minute, then Oshilaja leapt to head yards off target from a looped cross from the left.

The game was utterly dire by this stage. Would anyone make a mistake which might lead to a winning goal? Not a chance. The first offside flag of the game, the in the 90^th minute, halted Burton when Oshilaja’s tackle sent Walker away before three minutes of stoppage time were signalled. In keeping with the majority of the match, they produced nothing, despite a late corner and long throw from Burton.

All of our Burton Albion news appears daily in the Burton Mail. Much of it can also be found here: www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/burton-albion and here: https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/sport/