Burton Albion played out a thrilling 3-3 friendly draw at Kidsgrove Athletic tonight - with two trialists on the scoresheet for Nigel Clough's side.

Elliott Hodge got his latest outing in an Albion shirt and did his best to impress, netting an early opener and providing a constant threat down the left.

The newest face was that of the other trialist, Gaetan Rachdi, who grew into the game and scored Burton's third, before missing a second-half penalty - a spot-kick he won himself.

In between the trialists' efforts, Joe Sbarra added to his friendly tally for the summer, as Burton's unused first-team players from Saturday's defeat to Rochdale gained some valuable game time ahead of this weekend's League One game at Gillingham.

Joe Sbarra celebrates his equaliser against Mickleover Sports

But Ryan Austin's Athletic side fought back to earn the draw from 3-1 down, with Ant Malbon grabbing two and Kyle Diskin hitting the late leveller.

The Brewers named two trialists in their starting XI - one familiar to Albion fans, and one less so.

Hodge was stationed on the left of the forward three - with Burton mirroring Saturday's 4-3-3 system - while Rachdi began in central midfield, where he joined Sbarra and Jack Bromfield, who took on the holding role.

Hodge was soon into the action and on the scoresheet, as he again looked to catch the eye and show why Albion should consider signing him up for the 2018-19 season.

His goal owed much to the build-up, with Marcus Harness driving down the opposite flank and sliding Sbarra through.

Sbarra, ever intentful in possession, raced forward and squared a ball into the Kidsgrove box, where Chris Beardsley's dummy allowed Hodge to race onto it and drill a first-time finish past Dom Kurick in the home goal.

Burton spent much of the opening half on the front foot, with Ben Hart and Harness dovetailing well down the right.

Hodge and Sbarra, though, were the ones to really drive the Brewers on, with the pair getting the ball down and running at their men.

Ex-Notts County winger Hodge got a couple of shots away after cutting in from wide, while Sbarra almost turned home from close range after fine work by Harness.

Harry Campbell did have some work to do in the away goal, despite a solid first-half defensive performance from Hart, Reece Hutchinson, Regan Ganley and Tom Armitage against a powerful Kidsgrove attack.

Moments after the opener, Kidsgrove captain Ant Malbon went through with a chance to level, only for Albion's keeper to get down low and thwart him in a one-on-one.

There was nothing he could do about the equaliser on the half-hour, though, when Malbon swept home Chris Budrys' low cross after a rare period of pressure for the hosts.

But Albion got themselves back in front before the break, courtesy of Sbarra.

It was made by trialist Rachdi, stationed in one of the two more advanced central midfield roles.

Rachdi won the ball with a strong challenge in the middle and surged ahead, before feeding Sbarra.

The diminutive Brewers playmaker has shown his eye for goal this summer, and it was on show again here as he drilled a finish past Kurick.

Albion's dominance continued unabated at the start of the second half, with Hodge coming close after fading across into a central area and firing just wide again.

Rachdi then got himself on the scoresheet, calmly converting after more good work by Hodge.

His celebration showed it meant a lot - and the reactions of his Burton teammates suggested they were similarly pleased.

The chance to make it 4-1 fell to the same man when he was felled in the penalty area.

He got up to take the spot-kick, but a tame effort was saved by Kurick, down to his right.

And that would spark a late revival from the hosts.

Malbon made the first move, sending a sumptuous dipping effort home from 30 yards, the power beating Campbell and the dip beating the crossbar.

It was soon 3-3, Kyle Diskin beating substitute goalkeeper Callum Hawkins from a tight angle as the tides turned, with Albion making several changes.

Marcus Harness was lively on the right flank
Marcus Harness was lively on the right flank

Inspired, Kidsgrove finished the stronger - and it took two tidy saves from Hawkins to deny Malbon his hat-trick and Athletic from completing the turnaround.

A late run out for Will Miller was another positive for the Brewers. It was the ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward's first outing since he suffered a serious knee injury back in January.

This was a game designed to give Albion's unused first-team players from the weekend some precious game time - and it certainly did that, in intense circumstances, for Sbarra, Hutchinson, Harness and Campbell.

The entertainment factor was an added bonus.

And we will wait to see whether Hodge or new face Rachdi have caught the eye of the Albion management.