Burton Albion's friendly clash with Mickleover Sports on Friday night provided Brewers fans with the first chance to see new midfield signing Scott Fraser in action.

While fellow fresh arrival David Templeton was ruled out with a minor injury, Fraser was given 45 minutes from the start against Sports.

The game also saw appearances for trialist duo Elliott Hodge and Luke McCormick in the second half, while Tomas Egert - who made three outings on a short-term deal last season and is playing for another contract at the Pirelli Stadium for this season - completed the full 90 minutes.

Here is how the quartet got on as Albion returned to on-field action with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of John McGrath's Mickleover.

SCOTT FRASER

Scott Fraser has signed a two-year deal at Burton Albion

Fraser arrived at the Pirelli Stadium with the billing of a dynamic central midfielder who can help the Brewers get on the front foot in League One.

It may only have been one half of the first game of pre-season against Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division opposition, but the 23-year-old showed how that billing could prove a fitting one in the campaign ahead.

His performance was arguably the most eye-catching of Burton's starting XI.

With Albion continuing in the 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 formation with which they finished the previous campaign, Fraser was stationed as one of the two central midfielders further up the pitch.

He showed a tidy turn of pace when finding space in between Mickleover's midfield and defence, and he often fashioned that space for himself by turning cleverly away from tacklers.

One determined, yet fluid, run through the Sports' heart encapsulated the strengths of Fraser's game, as did a couple of pinpoint passes down the flank and into space for Marvin Sordell and Egert, though he was not able to get into any shooting positions himself.

It was a promising first showing for the ex-Dundee United man, and there were several Brewers fans in attendance at the Don Amott Arena full of praise for his dsiplay.

The challenge is now for Fraser to build on that performance and show he can maintain those levels through pre-season and beyond.

ELLIOTT HODGE

Notts County's Elliot Hodge on his league debut

Former Notts County youngster Hodge came on as one of nine changes to the Brewers team at half-time against Mickleover.

Despite being described as a winger, the 22-year-old played in a central midfield role for the majority of the half, stationed in behind lone frontman Marcus Dinanga.

Perhaps with that experience of playing out wide, Hodge linked up well with Reece Hutchinson and fellow trialist Luke McCormick down the left flank in the early stages of the second half, and there was an admirable willingness to seek possession and get on the ball.

A well-balanced piece of running through the middle helped set up a chance for Matty Lund, which the Northern Ireland international dragged wide from 20 yards.

He was shifted further right as the half wore on, and with Sports enjoying more of the play than they did in the first half against a more experienced Albion outfit, he did not always get the chance to show what we can do.

Hodge is likely to feature again at Kidderminster Harriers tomorrow night, when he will be keen to have a greater influence on proceedings, whether out wide or more centrally.

LUKE MCCORMICK

Like Hodge, former Nottingham Forest forward McCormick came on at half-time.

He replaced Lucas Akins on the left flank, and as Burton began the half brightly, he produced some incisive runs down the left flank.

Several link-ups with Hutchinson were promising, but the former Forest under-18s regular rarely got the chance to cut in and threaten Callum Hawkins' goal from more central positions.

As the half wore on, more play was sent down the right flank of Marcus Harness.

McCormick could play again against Kidderminster, when he would hope to get more opportunities in space to utilise his pace and show his ability to beat his marker.

TOMAS EGERT

Given Egert played three times for Burton in the Championship last season, this is a different sort of trial - but he is still playing to prove to Nigel Clough that he can be a valuable member of the squad in League One.

Clough is clearly keen to see plenty of the Czech defender, who was the only player to play the full 90 minutes at Sports.

Tomas Egert pushes forward for Burton Albion at Mickleover Sports

He was stationed at right-back throughout and hinted at what a solid pre-season he has had so far, showing good fitness in pushing up and overlapping his winger regularly to get into threatening crossing positions.

A few sloppy passes in those areas did let him down, but his defensive work was much more consistent, where he was dominant in the air and strong in the tackle.

Clough has suggested he could see Egert as an option across the backline and also in a holding midfield role, so we are likely to see him moved around in the upcoming friendlies.