Burton Albion host Middlesbrough today (3pm), desperately needing a win to kick-start their Championship survival mission in Boro's first league visit to the Pirelli Stadium.
The Brewers' 3-1 defeat to Cardiff City last time out saw them slump to the bottom of the table after Sunderland's 4-1 victory over Derby County on Friday .
Nigel Clough's men are six points adrift of 21st-placed Birmingham City, and today's test against promotion-chasing Middlesbrough is as difficult as they come.
Boro have lost only one of their last seven, with Tony Pulis' sixth-placed side hunting an immediate return to the Premier League.
The game passed a pitch inspection earlier on Monday following heavy rain over the last 24 hours in East Staffordshire.
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Thanks for following today's coverage of Burton Albion 1-1 Middlesbrough
We’re sorry we couldn’t bring you a Brewers win, but they keep on going and it’s a trip to Birmingham City on Saturday.
Make sure you keep checking burtonmail.co.uk/sport tonight for more reaction.
Tony Pulis is with us...
Nigel’s done an absolutely fantastic job with this football club. He should get some great credit with the budget he’s got to maintain a team. They’re competitive in every game we’ve watched. We never got going. They fully deserved to be winning the game. In the last 20 minutes they drop in obviously, as you do.
More from the manager...
That’s right up there, especially in terms of injustice. Over the course of the game not to get three points after the level of performance is extremely harsh. If ever there’s an instance of the ball not running for you and half-an-inch making all the difference with the ball coming off the bar today. That’s an example of that. But we feel that’s been a case for the majority of games here this season.
A dejected Nigel Clough is with us...
One of these days we’ll get a break somewhere. And that might get us three points. We need to win games but they can’t do any more that that today.
Full-time!
There’s no other way to term that other than cruel.
Burton did everything so well for 89 minutes, but for one minute they switched off and Boro capitalised.
A valiant effort from Burton today.
82: Assombalonga blazes over!
Naylor brought down Traore in the build-up and is cautioned, but the real story was Assombalonga’s effort.
He cut inside and inexplicably fired over.
79: Burton substituion
Luke Murphy replaces Akpan.
Meanwhile, Boro make their third change, with Leadbitter coming off for Adam Clayton.
77: Chance!
Besic shoots after a corner isn’t cleared, but it’s a tame effort and Bywater holds onto it.
73: Burton counter!
A rare foray forward for the Brewers, with Dyer laying off Davenport, who fizzes a cross to the head of Bent.
It’s a big ask for the striker, who can’t react in time.
71: Bamford is slipped in
Nobody tracks Assombalonga, so it’s a good job McFadzean was there to block the cross.
67: The free-kick is swung in from the right...
It’s flicked on to the back-post but Shaun Hudson’s flag goes up for offside...
67: Traore causing problems...
He skips down the right and McCrory and Sordell both take him out, with the former cautioned...
60: Boyce shoots!
But he drags his effort wide from range.
That opportunity was set up by some good work from Hope Akpan.
55: Naylor intercepts another pass
He’s been top quality so far. He then finds Dyer, but he manages to keep the ball in despite being seemingly dragged down by Ayala. No free-kick given though.
53: Dyer slips past Martin Cranie
He’s had the better of him all afternoon - but his cross is chipped over everyone.