Burton Albion booked a spot in the Birmingham Senior Cup second round and gave some first-team players a chance to to put themselves in contention for Friday's Championship clash with Bristol City as they defeated Bedworth United on Tuesday night.

Nigel Clough had said players in need of game time and an opportunity to impress would be given just that at the Oval - and he was true to his word.

Central midfield duo Matt Palmer and Matty Lund were among the first-team faces to start, with Ben Fox joining them in the middle.

Palmer and Lund will both be intent on featuring more regularly in the senior side over the coming weeks, and while neither lit this particular stage up, they fared well, with Palmer the composed figurehead of a dominant first-half display when the damage was done.

Tom Naylor started in the middle of a back three completed by Jayden Cotterill and Regan Ganley, with Harry Campbell in goal and Jake Davies and Reece Hutchinson providing the width as wing-backs.

The exciting academy graduate strike duo of Joe Sbarra and Marcus Dinanga rounded off the XI, with Sbarra slotting in just behind the forward currently on loan with AFC Telford United.

Dinanga showed all the signs of a striker who is in a rich vein of form and finding the net with pleasing regularity this term.

Matty Lund in action for Burton Albion
Matty Lund in action for Burton Albion

He has eight to his name already for the Bucks, and the confidence with which he held off defenders with his back to goal before swivelling to shoot or bring others into play showed the value of his time away from the Pirelli Stadium so far.

The most promising early signs on the night came from the wings, though, with Hutchinson a fine threat and Davies linking play well.

The pace of left-wing-back Hutchinson got him past his marker on two or three occasions, while one gorgeous through-ball from distance released Sbarra, who raced into the box and took the ball around the advancing Adam Harrison in the home goal, only for Kyle Cartwright to cover back and deny Burton the opener.

It was to be a short-lived reprieve, though, for Bedworth.

Twelve minutes were on the clock when Lund - keen to catch the eye following comments from Clough about him having struggled to find his best form since the previous international break - broke the deadlock.

It owed much to Dinanga, who called Harrison into action with a flicked effort from Sbarra's low centre.

The rebound came to Fox, who squared for Lund 18 yards out. The Northern Ireland international picked his spot and fired in off the far post, with Harrison stranded.

Like Lund, Palmer will have been aiming to show Clough and his management staff what he can offer as part of that midfield trio.

And while the odd ambitious crossfield pass was overhit, the 22-year-old provided another reminder of the composure he can bring in possession, coming deep to receive the ball off Naylor and spray passes around the park.

It was the third central midfielder who doubled Albion's advantage just after the half-hour mark.

Fox won the free-kick on the edge of the Bedworth box, before stepping up to curl a fine effort over the wall, past Harrison and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

The Brewers defence were rarely tested, with Naylor marshalling things well. Ganley looked calm on the left, while Cotterill was most effective when given the room to charge forward with the ball at his feet.

One goalbound effort from Lewis Noon was calmly held by the diving Campbell just before half-time.

Marcus Dinanga looked in confident form at the Oval

The visitors' lead was increased just before the break by the boot of Bedworth defender Liam Cross, who dived to block Palmer's wicked low free-kick across goal. He could only send the ball spiralling past his own keeper and into the net, though.

Burton would have less of the play in the second half, as United pushed harder and higher up the pitch to limit the deep-lying influence of Palmer.

Still, it would have been 4-0 before the hour had it not been for a superb point-blank save by Harrison, who impressed all night for the Evo-Stik NPL Division One South outfit.

Cotterill met Palmer's corner with a bullet header, but the home keeper reacted in sharp fashion to tip it over.

And it was to be the hosts, much brighter as the game wore on, who netted next.

Davies miscontrolled on the right flank as he looked to set an attack going, and possession was slid through for Kyle King, who dinked a clever finish over the advancing Campbell.

Neither side could find the net again, with Burton making substitutions to introduce Ethan Vale, James Harrison and Jack Bromfield into the fray. Vale was probably the most lively of that trio, floating into some dangerous areas and playing several incisive passes.

The result sees Albion into the next round of the cup competition and will give another chance for many of the Brewers' future stars the chance to link up with those first-team faces in need of game time when the next tie comes up.

For the likes of Naylor, Lund and Palmer, this clash provided just that. All three will hope that solid displays here and intent in training can force them into Clough's thinking for Friday night and the games that lie ahead.