BURTON Albion ended their pre-season preparations ahead of their debut League Two campaign on a winning note — but had to fight back from a 2-0 half-time deficit at former Blue Square Premier rivals Altrincham to do it, writes GLENN BROOKES.
The Brewers played well enough in the opening 45 minutes, but strikers Greg Pearson and Richard Walker failed to provide a cutting edge and the hosts profited by scoring twice in the final 10 minutes of the half.
The opening goal came on 35 minutes when Albion right-back Marc Edworthy misjudged centre-back James Smith’s long ball.
The pass sailed over the former Derby County defender and landed at the feet of left winger Nicky Clee, whose low cross was met three yards out by striker Dale Johnson.
It was 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, with the Robins doubling their advantage after Albion’s best spell of the half.
Striker Chris Senior latched onto Johnson’s through ball in the penalty area to the left of Shane Redmond’s goal.
With central defender Guy Branston unable to rein him in, Senior steered a left-foot shot wide of Redmond and into the far corner.
Brewers boss Paul Peschisolido made three changes at the break, with Ross Atkins replacing Redmond, Tony James coming on for Edworthy and new signing Jimmy Phillips replacing Marc Goodfellow on the left wing.
And it was former Stoke City winger Phillips who helped start the revival.
The 19-year-old’s 67th minute corner skimmed off a defender’s head and landed at the feet of Walker at the far post, with the striker sweeping the ball home past keeper Stuart Coburn.
The visitors were level five minutes later thanks to a great
individual effort from Jaques Maghoma, who formed an impressive central midfield partnership with John McGrath.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man picked up the ball midway inside the Altrincham half and powered forward to beat Coburn with a precise low drive into the corner of the net.
The Brewers were posing much more of a threat in the final third now and the comeback was completed on 75 minutes with a third goal in the space of eight minutes.
Phillips flicked on a through ball on the edge of the box and, with Coburn dithering, substitute Robin Shroot nipped in to head the ball over the keeper.
The game had started brightly on what was a slick surface at Moss Lane, with both Goodfellow and Maghoma sending efforts wide.
Redmond was then called into action on 17 minutes, flinging himself to his left to tip Senior’s shot wide of the far post.
However, the Brewers keeper was not so assured four minutes later when tamely punching Clee’s corner to Johnson who, fortunately for Redmond, fired wide from the edge of the box.
The visitors then clicked into gear in an attacking sense, with a
great ball by Goodfellow finding McGrath in the penalty area but the stretching midfielder could only steer a shot wide of the far
post.
With Albion trailing, McGrath forced Coburn into his first save of the match, diving to his left to brilliantly turn the midfielder’s 25-yard drive round the far post.
The Brewers were inches away from going 3-0 down two minutes into the second half when a terrific ball by former Leek Town midfielder Anthony Danylyk found Johnson, who turned Branston and fired in a shot which beat Atkins but crashed off the underside of the crossbar.
Senior was first to react to the rebound, but his tame header was straight at the Brewers keeper.
The visitors then had two bites at the cherry to pull one back four minutes later.
Phillips’ low cross from the left was met by Pearson, who was brilliantly denied by Coburn, who then somehow recovered to foil Walker at point-blank range from the rebound.
But the former Bristol Rovers man was not to be denied as Albion took the honours with three quickfire goals.
GOALS: Johnson 35, Senior 45 (Robins); Walker 67, Maghoma 72, Shroot 75 (Brewers).
ROBINS: Coburn (Saunders 77), Densmore, Doughty, Smith, Young, Kearney, Crowell, Danylyk (Williams 71), Senior, Johnson (Little 68), Clee (Heffernan 61); sub not used: Denham.
BREWERS: Redmond (Atkins 45); Edworthy (James 45), Branston (Stride84), Austin (Corbett 84), Boertien; Penn (Knowles 84), Maghoma (Simpson 84), McGrath, Goodfellow (Phillips 45); Walker (Harrad 75), Pearson (Shroot 58).
ATTENDANCE: 417.
REFEREE: A Taylor.