Burton Albion v Oxford United
TEAM NEWS: Burton Albion boss Paul Peschisolido handed new signing Lee Lucas an immediate debut as the Brewers welcomed Oxford United to the Pirelli Stadium.
The 19-year-old was signed on loan from Swansea City until the end of the season on Thursday and went into a three-man midfield alongside skipper John McGrath and Adam Bolder.
Lucas was one of three changes from the 1-1 draw at Bradford City, with Aaron Webster returning from injury at left-back in place of Tom Parkes, who has returned to Leicester City following the end of his loan deal as the two clubs could not agree terms on extending it.
The other change saw striker Justin Richards ruled out by an injury picked up in training, with Argentinian winger Andres Gurrieri replacing him having signed a new deal on Thursday.
BREWERS (4-1-2-3): Atkins; Driver, Austin, Stanton, Webster; Lucas; Bolder, McGrath (capt); Maghoma, Zola, Gurrieri; subs: Corbett, Palmer, Yussuf, Taylor, Phillips.
Us (4-3-3): Clarke; Whing, Duberry, Wright (capt), Davis; Heslop, Hall, Leven; Potter, Constable, Pittman; subs: Tonkin, McLaren, Johnson, Worley, Fletcher.
HALF-TIME: The hosts started very brightly, passing the ball around well, with Lucas prominent sat in front of the back four.
However, it was Oxford who had the first chance when striker James Constable crossed from the right and midfielder Peter Leven planted a downward header wide of the target.
The Brewers’ first chance came on 13 minutes when right-back Callum Driver’s cross went all the way to McGrath, whose right-foot shot was blocked by Us goalkeeper Ryan Clarke at his near post for a corner.
The hosts were ahead less than 60 seconds later.
Gurrieri played a second corner in quick succession was played short to McGrath and received the ball back before jinking past a defender and cutting a pass back for Bolder to fire home.
Albion were forced to make a change on 33 minutes, with Andy Corbett on for Webster, who appeared to pull up with a hamstring problem.
BURTON ALBION 1, OXFORD UNITED 0
FULL TIME: Burton were the first to threaten in the second half, but Jacques Maghoma’s effort from 25 yards was always going wide of the target.
However, the Us went close on 55 minutes when striker Alfie Potter was put through inside the penalty area to the right of goal.
His shot was headed for the far corner, but keeper Ross Atkins got down well to turn it round the post.
Potter was not to be denied four minutes later when Constable flicked the ball into his path into the box.
He jinked one way and the other past a host of defenders to the right of goal before drilling a shot into the far corner.
At the other end, Driver tried his luck with his left foot from 30 yards, but his effort was always too high.
The visitors could have been in front on 63 minutes when Simon Heslop whipped in a free-kick from the right.
The ball went to the far post, where it came off a Burton defender and fell for Potter, but he blazed a first-time effort over.
Half-time Us substitute Oli Johnson then raced 30 yards before seeing a scuffed shot saved low by Atkins, while Constable fired just wide of the far post from a tight angle as the visitors took a stranglehold on the game.
Peschisolido made his second change on 69 minutes, with Gurrieri replaced by Chris Palmer.
The hosts’ final change saw Adi Yussuf replace Calvin Zola up front.
Oxford had another chance on 76 minutes when Constable’s volleyed cross from the right was met with a diving header by Leven, but the effort was straight at Atkins.
The visitors continued to look the most likely to grab a winner and Leven fizzed a 25-yard free-kick just wide of the target with three minutes to go.
The hosts then went close when a free-kick from the right went to the far post, where Bolder chose to head back across goal maybe he should have tried to hit the target.
BURTON ALBION 1, OXFORD UNITED 1
