Tom Flanagan believes Burton Albion let themselves down with their second-half performance in defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Brewers looked the likelier side to break the deadlock during the opening 45 at the City Ground, with Lloyd Dyer seeing a shot blocked on the line and other openings falling by the wayside.

And they were ruthlessly punished by Forest after the break, Barrie McKay drilling the hosts into the lead after 58 minutes before Eric Lichaj landed the decisive blow with the second, only moments after Dyer was denied a penalty at the other end.

The result leaves Albion inside the bottom three with 10 points from 13 games - and they have scored only six goals in that time.

Stephen Warnock squares for Lloyd Dyer against Nottingham Forest

Flanagan is under no illusions as to the opportunity they let slip through their grasp by not seizing the initiative when they were on top, with the Northern Ireland international hoping it is a lesson they learn from quickly.

"I feel like we didn't take advantage," said Flanagan, who came on as a 14th-minute substitute for the injured John Brayford.

"Coming into the second half, I felt that we were on top - we had them under a little bit of pressure, and I think half-time came at a good time for them.

"We had them, but we didn't really kill them off.

"Obviously we needed that goal, it's easy to say.

"We had some good opportunities, but they started the game well and they started the second half very well.

"But we were on top. We've got to learn from this and forget about half-time to just keep on at the same standards of where we were in the first half.

"With what happened with the penalty, it's easy to use that as a bit of an excuse and say that's a way of getting back in the game.

Sean Scannell sees a shot on goal blocked against Nottingham Forest

"But I felt that we let ourselves down a little bit today, in the second half especially."

Despite the positivity building as Albion pushed for that opening goal in an impressive first half, Flanagan says there was no sense of complacency at half-time.

Indeed, Nigel Clough warned of the inevitable Forest backlash - a warning that proved particularly prescient.

"It was positive, but we were needing to really reenforce it - and that was what was said," added Flanagan on how Albion felt at the break.

"It wasn't like, 'the game is over, it's job done' or anything like that.

"The manager was very clear. He said, 'you've played well, but it means nothing now'.

"It was very true, and it turned out, unfortunately, to be even truer."