Burton Albion's second friendly in the space of 24 hours ended all square as they drew 2-2 with Matlock Town at Causeway Lane.
Joe Sbarra and Marcus Dinanga - arguably the shining lights for the visitors on the day - grabbed the first-half goals as an entertaining first 45 gave way to a more stodgy second half, with various changes on both sides affecting the flow.
As promised following Friday's defeat to AFC Wimbledon, Nigel Clough gave a first start of pre-season to the returning Jake Buxton, whose last appearance in a Burton shirt came in helping the club into the Football League for the first time in 2009.
Having been recovering from a pre-existing injury this summer, Buxton came back in to the heart of the Brewers' defence, alongside Tom Naylor.
Damien McCrory was at left-back as Albion lined up in a 4-4-2, while physio Nick Fenton started the game at right-back, a day after Clough had said Albion were close to signing a new player in that position.
Ben Fox and Matt Palmer were the starting central midfielders, inside Jayden Cotterill and Jack Hallahan - Joe Sbarra played just behind striker Marcus Dinanga.
Both of that forward pair were a menace from the first kick. Dinanga - who spent a goal-laden season on loan at the Gladiators last term - was clearly keen to impress his former side, nipping in behind the defence and regularly using his pace to evade his marker.
It was Sbarra, though, who broke the deadlock inside five minutes. Quick thinking from McCrory saw his throw down the line pick out Hallahan, who's inside pass was flicked on and into the box by Dinanga. Sbarra was on hand to fire at goal, and while Matlock keeper Phil Barnes denied him at first, the 18-year-old followed up to poke the rebound in.
That goal sparked an early period of dominance for Clough's much-changed Burton, Palmer and Fox sitting deeper to pull the strings and allowing goalscorer Sbarra to run things in the final third.
In turn, that allowed Dinanga a couple of openings, both well denied by Barnes.
Hallahan also got a sniff when a Fox cross was knocked down to the penalty spot - but he sent it flying over.
And just like the previous night, Burton were then to find themselves punished by a ruthless quickfire double.
A long through-ball looked to be cut out by the retreating Buxton, only for the ex-Derby County man to knock his clearance on the stretch into the path of one of Matlock's several trialists - and the finish was an emphatic one to level things up.
If the first Matlock goal was slightly fortuitous, though, the second was pure quality.
Another Gladiators trialist was chosen to take a free-kick on the edge of Albion's box, just left of goal - and he stepped up languidly to curl an inch-perfect effort over the wall and into the top left corner of Campbell's net.
That double hit sparked Albion back into life, and a step-up intensity paid dividends as Dinanga got the goal he will have craved at Causeway Lane.
The chance originally looked to have gone as he mis-controlled a pass into him in the hosts' box. But the Burton forward showed real tenacity to win the ball back and slam in a low effort that wrong footed Barnes and nestled in the net.
Scored in the 36th minute, that strike would be one of the final chances of the game - Dinanga also came close moments later as he continued to cause Matlock's centre-halves problems.
Buxton was removed at half-time - Tom Hammerton coming on at right-back and Fenton moving into the centre - to give him respite following an important first run out of pre-season.
The early signs are that the experienced centre-half will bring exactly what Clough and Albion's supporters will want - commitment and strength on the ground and in the air.
A couple of wayward passes are perhaps expected at this early, early stage of the campaign.
Matlock themselves made a host of changes early in the second half, and that had some effect on the way the latter part of the game went, with neither side able to string together passes with the fluidity of the first half.
Fox and Palmer saw plenty of possession in the middle, but Matlock's rearguard stood strong and fanned out across the box, meaning passes often had to go out wide, where the danger was sniffed out.
Transfer talk
McCrory - back at left-back after having played in the middle at some points this summer - tried to add some impetus by bombing forward down the left flank and overlapping Hallahan and late substitute Reece Hutchinson - but to no avail.
On the rare occasion goalkeeper Campbell was called into action after the break, he was found equal to the threats, staying strong to save at his near post from one good Matlock chance.
Jack Livesey and Luke Tandy also got late run outs for Clough's side, giving precious senior game time to some of Albion's potential future stars against a tough Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division outfit.
The game petered to a conclusion at 2-2. Like the Friday defeat to Wimbledon, there was perhaps a sense that some mid-July tiredness has crept back into the Brewers' legs after a busy schedule so far and some lengthy travelling over recent days.
They will look to get a second wind as the season opener ticks ever closer.
