After securing a hard-earned goalless draw away at Bristol City in October, Ben Turner gave an insight into the Brewers' successful approach on the road.

"It's interesting, because you can sense at times that a team is getting frustrated," he said.

"We certainly need to remember that, while a team is frustrated, we're in a good position in a game."

That has served them well this season.

Away from home, the longer a game has progressed, the more control Albion seem to have had on the clash, and the more confident you have felt of a positive result.

But at the Pirelli Stadium, where Nigel Clough's side are enduring their worst-ever run since becoming a Football League side, the opposite is true - and it is continually proving Burton's undoing.

Will Miller fires for goal in the 2-1 loss to Preston

Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Preston North End was their seventh successive loss in East Staffordshire.

In four of the last five, they have been level at the break and seemingly well placed to secure some valuable points.

Each one has got away from them late in the second half.

The Preston loss was the latest example.

There was a horrible sense of deja vu as Tom Clarke slotted home the visitors' 66th-minute opener, and then as Daryl Horgan – another pivotal introduction off the bench against the Brewers - swept in Preston's second late on as Albion opened themselves up in search of an equaliser.

It was as though Alex Neil's men knew the chance would come if they stayed in the game, just as the Brewers have done on the road.

The approach worked, despite Lucas Akins' last-gasp strike, which was the very definition of a consolation.

There is an understandable nervousness around the Pirelli the longer Albion go in a game without taking the lead, something they have not done since Turner's opener in the 2-1 loss to Ipswich Town.

Confidence will become more of an issue as this run continues – if it is not already – and as things keep going against Burton

Because there were moments in this clash which certainly made Clough and his players feel that the rub of the green is not Albion's currently.

Burton Albion wanted a penalty for this possible handball
Burton Albion wanted a penalty for this possible handball

Clough believed Turner was fouled as he tried to head clear the corner that led to Clarke's opener - and the fact that the rebound ricocheted perfectly into the path of the Preston captain, off Tom Naylor’s shin, only added to Clough's sense of injustice.

Within a minute of that goal, substitute Sean Scannell was at the other end and attempting to slide a low cross into the box.

Darnell Fisher slid to block it, and the ball appeared to strike his arm, with referee Keith Stroud waving away the impassioned appeals for a penalty.

But while both of those calls looked admittedly harsh from an Albion standpoint, Burton know they also have to start making their own luck - and taking their chances.

They created a few with the game still goalless, as Clough lined his players up in a new 4-2-3-1 system.

That formation saw only one change in personnel, with Lloyd Dyer returning from a hamstring strain to come into the starting XI in the place of Marvin Sordell, who was ruled out of the matchday squad with a groin problem.

Albion's struggle to find consistency this season has not been helped by injuries and continual selection changes because of it, but the Brewers made a promising enough start here with these new combinations.

Dyer lined up alongside Matt Palmer and Will Miller in a forward trio behind lone striker Akins, while Naylor moved forward from centre-half to partner Luke Murphy in a holding midfield role.

Chris Maxwell gets up to punch clear under pressure from Ben Turner

Naylor was making his 100th Football League appearance for the Brewers, and he again proved why he has become a deserving starter over recent weeks with a composed display, breaking up play well and helping get Albion on the front foot quickly with some incisive passing.

Behind him, the back four of John Brayford, Jake Buxton, Turner and Tom Flanagan largely stifled Preston's attacks.

They looked most susceptible when Albion were caught on the break and Preston snapped quickly forward - but Stephen Bywater was on hand to make a couple of important saves, and Brayford then produced a characteristically impressive goal-line block to deny Callum Robinson's low effort.

Buxton also intervened in timely fashion to get across Tom Barkhuizen and deny the pacy winger a shot on goal when Burton's defence was opened up, while Flanagan turned in a display reminiscent of late last season with several well-timed challenges and interceptions.

At the other end, there was more deja vu for the Brewers attack.

Lucas Akins looks to beat his man in the 2-1 loss to Preston

They played some good, quick football to stretch the visitors, but were unable to capitalise.

On one such occasion, Miller had a good chance to fire goalwards from 18 yards - but his volleyed effort was straight at Chris Maxwell in the Preston goal.

Akins had earlier threatened to embarrass Maxwell when the visiting keeper came to make a bizarre tackle on the left flank, 30 yards out. He missed the challenge, but Akins' effort from a tight angle hit the sidenetting.

Just before the break, Akins was involved in a moment that summed up Burton's struggles in the final third.

He did superbly to chase down Ben Davies and dispossess him on the Preston byline to get in behind.

With runners haring into the box, though, his attempted delivery was picked off and the chance was gone.

It was almost reminiscent of Cauley Woodrow's opener against Norwich City in February, when Lasse Vigen Christensen won the ball in the same position and squared for his fellow loanee to slot home.

They are lacking that killer instinct at the moment, though, and every wasted opportunity feels like it could be crucial.

The Brewers enjoyed another good spell of pressure after the break, but it again came to little, Maxwell making a fine save to tip over Palmer's goalbound free-kick.

Instead, yet again, it was the visitors who got the crucial opener through Clarke.

And had it not been for some stunning goalkeeping by Bywater, the scoreline may quickly have got away from the Brewers, with the ex-Derby County man standing tall to deny Horgan one-on-one and then also saving from Robinson, who struck the base of the post just afterwards.

He was powerless to prevent Horgan sliding home the second, though. Again, there was a sense of bad fortune for the hosts, with Buxton doing well to tackle Barkhuizen, only for the ball to run into the path of Horgan, whose finish was emphatic.

Albion's clinical edge was eventually shown in the 93rd minute when Akins lashed a close-range shot home off the underside of the Preston bar.

Stephen Bywater enjoyed a fine performance in the defeat to Preston

But there was barely time for the visitors to restart the game before Stroud's whistle was blown, condemning Burton to the fate of their losing home run stretching past the Christmas festivities.

There were some bowed heads from players and fans alike at the end of the game, indicative of the impact this current form is having.

That was perhaps also slightly mirrored by the attendance of 3659, the lowest at the Pirelli since it became a Championship ground.

The cold, snowy weather and the fact that Christmas is just around the corner will have had an impact on that too though.

Just as last season, Albion will be eyeing up the January transfer window as a chance to reenergise their campaign and add some valuable quality to the squad.

A fully-fit squad would also be welcome, given Joe Mason and Matty Lund were both missing with illness on Saturday and Burton are constantly having to change things up.

But whatever happens after January 1 and in the physio room before then, there is no escaping the fact that banishing this rotten home run to the history books soon feels like being the pivotal feature of the Brewers' bid for survival.