Burton Albion v Morecambe
TEAM NEWS: BURTON Albion went into their home clash with Morecambe knowing a victory would guarantee a fourth season of League Two football.
A point would be enough if the bottom two – Hereford United and Macclesfield Town - both lose.
Caretaker boss Gary Rowett handed striker Calvin Zola his first start since returning from a back injury. He partnered Justin Richards up front, with Greg Pearson the man to drop to the bench.
The only other change from Friday’s 1-1 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge was in midfield, with Cleveland Taylor earning a recall in place of the injured Jack Dyer, with Jacques Maghoma moving into the centre.
Midfielder Chris Palmer was back in the squad on the bench.
BREWERS (4-4-2): Atkins; Corbett, Stanton, Austin, Webster; Taylor, Bolder, Maghoma, Phillips; Zola, Richards; subs: James, Palmer, Pearson, Clucas, Ada.
SHRIMPS (4-4-2): Roche; Haining (capt), Fenton, McCready, Parrish; Reid, Hunter, McDonald, Redshaw; Curran, Burrow; subs: Ellison, Mwasile, Kettings, McGee, Carlton.
HALF-TIME: The Brewers had an early half-chance on three minutes, with right-back Andy Corbett firing wide of the far post with a left-foot shot from 25 yards.
The hosts were in front three minutes later.
Striker Justin Richards picked up the ball on the left deep in Morecambe territory and found winger Jimmy Phillips.
He spotted the run of Adam Bolder and slipped him in inside the penalty area, and the midfielder curled a right-foot shot wide of Shrimps goalkeeper Barry Roche and into the far corner.
The visitors’ first sniff of a chance came on 15 minutes as Izak Reid crossed from the right to the near post.
Striker Craig Curran met it and got something on it, but could only deflect the ball wide of the target.
However, the Brewers were in again moments later as Zola played a one-two with Richards and only a superb last-ditch tackle by Shrimps skipper Will Haining denied him.
After a lull in play, the visitors had the next chance on 31 minutes as Reid’s corner from the right was met by centre-back Nick Fenton, but his header was straight at Brewers keeper Ross Atkins.
The Brewers doubled their lead on 39 minutes, with left-back Aaron Webster scoring his 100th goal for the club.
Zola flicked the ball to Bolder inside the penalty area after Richards had picked up a free-kick.
Bolder unselfishly squared it to Webster, who calmly slotted it into the corner of the net.
However, the visitors pulled one back three minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Haining’s free-kick to the far post was knocked back across goal and striker Jordan Burrow was on hand to thump it home.
BURTON ALBION 2, MORECAMBE 1
FULL TIME: The visitors made a change at half-time, with Danny Carlton on for Fenton.
And Carlton made an immediate impact, swooping to head home Reid’s free-kick from the right from inside the six-yard box.
Webster, making his 100th Football League appearance, went off and was replaced by Patrick Ada on 56 minutes.
Corbett switched to left-back, with Ada slotting in on the right of the back four.
With 59 minutes gone, Phillips tried his luck from distance but his effort was well wide.
Phillips then set up Richards, but the striker fired into the side netting from the left of goal 12 yards out.
Albion’s second change came on 71 minutes, with Palmer on for Taylor.
Winger Jack Redshaw almost put the visitors in front on 76 minutes when he picked up a corner from the left on the edge of the area.
He jinked past three players and found himself in on goal but, from the left of goal, fired a right-foot shot wide of the far post.
The Brewers’ final change was made immediately after, with Pearson on for Richards.
Palmer gave Burton the lead with three minutes to go, curling home a free-kick from just outside the area to the left of goal following a foul on Zola.
However, in stoppage time, Zola was penalised for a boot to the face of Carlton, but Atkins saved substitute Kevin Ellison’s spot-kick.
BURTON ALBION 3, MORECAMBE 2
