BURTON 2nds entertained Cannock 2nds at Shobnall on Saturday expecting a hard game.
With the first team already having reached the festive break, a good crowd was present to see them secure a 3-2 victory.
The first half was nip and tuck all the way, with each side forcing a single short corner which they failed to convert.
Carl Williams spurned the clearest chance of the half, putting his shot inches wide from the top of the circle with the keeper well beaten.
The Burton defence was well marshalled by Dave Munn at centre-back and the first half finished goalless.
The half-time team talk focussed on not making mistakes, keeping possession, capitalising on errors made by the opposition and maintaining the good work produced in the first half.
Al Lawrence stole the ball immediately from Cannock’s push-back in the second half, ran into the circle and finished spectacularly one-handed on the reverse with the keeper rooted to the spot.
Five minutes later and Burton’s lead was doubled as Nick Lathbury drove into the Cannock circle from right-half, rode a couple of tackles and placed his shot neatly just inside the far post for his first goal of the season for the team.
This goal galvanised Cannock and Burton were put under severe pressure for the next 10 minutes as the visitors sought to get a foothold in the game.
Eventually, this pressure told and their left-half found enough space in the circle to get off a powerful shot which found the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
The game levelled up as Burton discovered their passing game again and a couple of aerial balls hit their mark in the Cannock half to relieve the pressure.
Following a short spell of ping-pong in the Cannock D, Jamie Cooper was able to find the back of the net with their keeper unsighted to restore Burton’s two-goal lead.
Cannock again mounted more pressure in a bid to restore parity and forced a number of short corners — one of which they converted with a quality drag-flick high to James Morrison’s right.
This was the end of the goalmouth action, though, and Burton secured another three points in the ENER-G Second XI League Midlands Premier Division.
