Burton Albion v Torquay United
TEAM NEWS: Burton Albion were dealt a blow ahead of their home clash against Torquay United with loan signing Lee Lucas ruled out by a back injury.
Lucas, signed on loan from Swansea City, returned to the club this week having picked up a hamstring injury on his debut in the 1-1 draw against Oxford United.
However, he was injured in training and missed out.
Manager Paul Peschisolido went with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Calvin Zola up front on his own.
Behind him were Cleveland Taylor, the returning Jacques Maghoma and Lionel Ainsworth, while in front of the back four were Jack Dyer and Matty Harriott.
The back four saw one change from the 1-0 defeat at Shrewsbury Town, with fit-again Tony James replacing the injured Nathan Stanton.
BREWERS (4-2-3-1): Atkins; Corbett, James (capt), Ada, Webster; Dyer, Harriott, Taylor, Maghoma, Ainsworth; Zola; subs: Richards, Yussuf, Austin, Phillips, Gurrieri.
GULLS (4-1-4-1): Olejnik; Oastler, Ellis, Saah, Nicholson; Lathrope; Morris, Mansell (capt), O’Kane, Stevens; Howe; subs: Rowe-Turner, Jarvis, Rice, MacDonald, Atieno.
HALF-TIME: The visitors broke the deadlock in the seventh minute.
Right-back Joe Oastler’s cross was headed straight up in the air by James.
Striker Rene Howe rose highest to knock it back across goal and there was winger Danny Stevens to rifle it past Brewers keeper Ross Atkins.
The Brewers were forced into a change on 12 minutes, with striker Zola, who had picked up a knock moments earlier, replaced by Justin Richards.
Albion needed to respond quickly and when Ainsworth swung over a corner from the left on 15 minutes, James glanced a header wide of the far post.
However, the visitors were still threatening and on 18 minutes, left-back Kevin Nicholson got in behind right-back Andy Corbett in the penalty area, but his shot from a tight angle flashed across the face of goal.
Albion’s best move of the match so far came on 23 minutes.
Dyer dinked a ball into the box and Richards touched it to Ainsworth, whose first-time shot from the right of goal was just too high.
However, it was 2-0 on 36 minutes.
After great work by Eunan O’Kane on the left, he touched it to the supporting Nicholson, whose cross to the near post was met by skipper Lee Mansell and his shot went in off the post despite Atkins getting a hand to it.
Mansell should have had a second on 43 minutes when he found himself all alone in front of goal following a ball in from the right, but his first touch was too heavy and allowed Atkins to save.
BURTON ALBION 0, TORQUAY UNITED 2
FULL TIME: There was a glimmer of a chance for the home side on 49 minutes when Gulls keeper Robert Olejnik and centre-back Mark Ellis went up for the same ball.
Neither dealt with it and it dropped to Richards, but he failed to get a proper connection and his first-time left-foot shot was screwed well wide of goal.
There was another half chance for the hosts 10 minutes later when Dyer’s corner from the right dropped to Maghoma 15 yards out.
He tried an ambitious volley, but his effort was saved to his left by Olejnik.
At the other end, O’Kane played a one-two with Ian Morris and tried to lob Atkins into the far top corner, but the Brewers keeper managed to stretch enough to grab the effort.
The Brewers received a huge slice of luck to get themselves back into the game on 68 minutes.
Ainsworth’s cross from the right was collected by Olejnik, but as he fell to the floor, he collided with centre-back Brian Saah and the ball spilled loose, leaving Richards the simple task of tapping it into an empty net.
Ainsworth created another chance on 76 minutes when he crossed to the far post.
The ball was met on the volley by Taylor, but the effort was close enough to Olejnik for the keeper to save fairly comfortably.
Ainsworth should have got himself on the scoresheet two minutes later when Richards did superbly to control, turn and drill in a low cross from the right by-line.
Ainsworth slid in at the near post but failed to connect.
Less than 60 seconds later, Ainsworth had a shot from 25 yards beaten away by Olejnik as the hosts piled on the pressure.
However, the visitors produced a killer blow on 82 minutes.
Striker Rene Howe picked the ball up on the left touchline, advanced to the corner of the penalty area and curled a stunning strike into the far top corner.
With four minutes to go, Peschisolido sent on Adi Yussuf for Taylor.
However, less than 60 second later, Torquay substitute Taiwo Atieno stroked the ball past Atkins to make it 4-1.
Dyer had a chance in the 89th minute, but he tried to place his shot into the corner and saw it blocked by the keeper’s legs.
The Brewers were awarded a penalty when Corbett was fouled by substitute Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, but Richards saw his spot-kick saved before blasting the rebound over.
BURTON ALBION 1, TORQUAY UNITED 4
