Match Photos
Burton Albion vs Gresley Rovers
It took only 3 minutes for Burton Albion to open the scoring in this pre-season friendly match at Eton Park.
Andy Ducros ran behind the Gresley defence before sending in a cross that the waiting Glen Kirkwood at the far post gladly received and duly headed into an unguarded net.
It looked ominous for the visiting Gresley supporters as Albion looked as if they were going to overrun their opponent's.
On 8 minutes Andy Sinton almost doubled Albion's lead but he managed to put his shot wide of the target.
Albion continued to press forward and only a good block tackle on 19 minutes prevented another chance on goal. Former Moatman Andy Garner then had a chance to get on the scoresheet but having received the ball was undecided what to do with it and in the end did nothing.
On 24 minutes Albion got the goal that looked certain to come. Garner held the ball shielding it expertly for what seemed an age before passing to Aaron Webster who had made a fine run down the left. He in turn slung in a low cross and Kirkwood was there again to score his second of the night.
Gresley began to settle into the game and looked a lot more composed at the back and their best chance of the half came on 30 minutes. Some poor defensive play by Nigel Clough allowed Gresley striker Ian Pitt a chance on goal, but instead of smashing a shot he chose to pass to Chris Gray, who looked suspiciously offside, and the midfielder appeared to try and back heel the ball into the net and instead the ball trickled wide of the post.
With a just a few minutes remaining of the half Earl Alexander made a jinking run into the area but his shot flew just wide of Robinson's goal.
On 44 minutes Pitt had another chance to pull a goal back when he collected the ball in midfield but his shot shaved the outside of the post with Robinson beaten.
Then, with time almost up, Williams fired in a superb shot that was only just wide of the target.
As was expected Albion made changes at half time but it didn't seem to interrupt their flow. Substitute Christian Moore tested Gresley keeper Mark Sheils on 54 minutes with a vicious shot that Sheils could only block but the second attempt by Jon Howard brought off terrific save again from Sheils.
On 55 minutes another flowing end to end move saw Albion score their third when Dale Anderson picked up a loose ball and drilled his shot past Sheils
Seven minutes later Albion ought to have had a fourth goal but Darren Stride, after collecting a cross from Craig Dudley on the right, launched a shot from the edge of the goal area that almost landed in the Town Centre.
New signing Steve Chettle almost got on the scoresheet on 81 minutes but his thundering low shot was superbly held by substitute Brad Clarke.
Right on the final whistle it looked odds-on that Gresley would concede a fourth but some brave keeping by Clarke denied Anderson.
Gary's view of the game
"I've never looked at my watch as much in 90 minutes as I did tonight. It was a very good workout against a superb professional organised unit. Their fitness level and movement off the ball, their options, their passing which a lot of the time was one-touch, pulled us all over the park.
"In the middle of the second half I had a crafty count to make sure they had eleven players on the pitch because it seemed that they were coming through us at will.
"I thought we were a little slow and naive when we were pulled out of defence and then they hit us with a quick break.
"We did tighten things up a bit in the second half. They changed a few players and so did we but I was reasonably happy with the shape we kept. They had a lot of possession and we worked hard to try and deny them any clear-cut opportunities and at least we kept it down to just the one goal in the second half.
"We lost the game 3 - 0 but as I've said before it's all pre-season and the result doesn't matter too much. However, having said that, it would have been nice to have come to Burton and get some sort of decent result for the club and the supporters. But being realistic it's been a fantastic work out and the lads are holding their heads high in the dressing room.
"I'd like to mention the supporters as I thought they were superb throughout and I'd love to see that many behind the goal for our home games at the Moat.
I'd had a word with Nigel Clough before the game and we were hoping to see a nice, clean competitive game of football and we saw that. I don't think that at any time was the game going to boil over and that's a credit to Nigel's lads and ours.
"The supporters may have wanted to see some meaty challenges but tonight game was not the place for it.
"I thought we were a little naive for the first goal and think we could have worked a little harder to stop it. Gary White was only a yard off Kirkwood but he had that little bit of movement and a forward of that quality will score which he did with a fine header. Gary would probably have got away with his defending in the Dr Martens Western Division but not at this level.
"Disappointed with the second goal. We should know what Andy Garner is about. He's a quality player who can hold the ball up, which he did for 4 or 5 seconds, found a runner who crossed for Kirkwood to get his second.
"At times in the first half Burton looked as they were toying with us but we closed it down a bit and worked harder in the second and I can't ask any more from the players.
"What I would like to see us copy is the way Burton got the ball back in play from throw-ins. As soon as the ball went dead it was quickly back in play that is a credit to Nigel and his players. They've had to learn that because they play in a very competitive league.
"We did have a couple of half chances. One from Ian Pitt that clipped the outside of the post and the one that Chris Gray missed. It would have been nice to have got a goal for the supporters.
"I hope it's given Nigel's team a good run-out tonight regardless of the score. There will be many sides in the Conference who will be beaten by Burton by 3 goals or more.
"I feel we have not done ourselves any harm at all or caused any embarrassment. Yes I hate losing but I'm proud of the lads tonight.
"I felt there were a few positives out of tonight's game. The work out tonight was better than any training sessions or maybe two or three sessions. The lads are absolutely shattered. I thought the lads had a positive attitude. They were being pulled apart all over the place but they kept their heads up and worked hard. They talked to each other to pull each other in which I was delighted with. Yes, they rode their luck a bit, which we did in the games against West Brom and Derby County and got decent results. We were disappointed not to get a result on Saturday but I believe that may have been because we made so many changes during the match and lost our shape.
"I felt we kept our shape tonight even when we made some substitutions and it's been another big step towards a week on Saturday.
Burton Albion (2) 3
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Kirkwood 3, 24, Anderson 55.
Burton Albion: Robinson (Duke 45), Clough (Henshaw 45), Webster (Colkin 45), Williams, Wassall (Dudley 57), Hoyle (Chettle 45), Crosby (Stride 45), Ducros (Sugden 45, (Garner 75)), Kirkwood (Anderson 45), Garner (Moore 45), Sinton (Howard 45).
Gresley Rovers: Sheils (Clarke 77), Bluck, G White, Gray, Cheetham, Slater (Barrett 57), Bourne (Hebbard 57), Hopkins (Timms 57), Kitching (Lonegan 77), Pitt, Alexander. Subs not used: Moran, Branch.
Referee: T Holbrook (Walsall).
Attendance: 597
