Burton Albion v Torquay United 6th April 2009

As one who does no always sing from the same song sheet as most on here with regard to Paul Buckle and our performances this season I'd like to say tht I thought lasts nights game was a damn fine performance and result - a real throw back to our games at Cheltenham and Hull in our promotion season.

As many have pointed out, we could and should have been 3 or 4 up at half time. Burton underlined how good a side they are in the second, but we were rarely troubled with fine displays from Robertson.Toddy and Manse. I agree that Wroe was pretty magnificent all night and started where he left off on Saturday. I was most pleased and suprised with the level of composure the players displayed all over the park - passing and moving for each other and generally choosing the right pass at the right time. Had Benyon converted Stevens cross that would have been sublime. Very often a lack of composure is one of the most irritating things about watching lower league football, but last night we had it in bundles.

One minor point, someone has suggsted that the ball did not stick up front after Sturrock went off and Benyon came on. A little unfair in my opinion - to be honest if one was to analyse the difference in the first and second halves one may see that the ball wasn't sticking up front for pretty much the whoe of the second half - most evident as Burton enjoyed there best 15 minutes of the game immediately after the interval.

I felt thesending off was harsh, but last season we were very, very unlucky to lose to Aldershot in a similr type of game and maybe we deserve a decision going our way in a big game.

As a matter of accuracy Dave, they were BOTH YOUR descriptions as the quotes show.................MY terminology was "absorbing a determined assault on our goal and damaging the opposition by hitting balls into the space they leave behind them is not lumping it"

...........and for the record, NO I wasn't on the edge of my seat worrying about Burton equalising. For sure a single goal lead can be lost in the twinkling of an eye for any out of the blue reason, but from the general balance of play last night there was no time at any point in the game that I feared the balance of power was shifting.

Todd and Robertson where utterly immovable last night and totally dominated the Burton strike force to the extent that Beavon had not one save of any difficulty to make, and the longer the game went on and the more men they sent forward; the more likely that Wroe was going to waltz through them or Carlisle too for that matter and Burton knew that.

Fair point. I would certainly agree with your analysis of the Aldershot game. Whilst the performance at Stevenage last year was very good I think last night's was a notch above due to the quality of the opposition. Similarly, we dominated Rushden at their place this season from start to finish, but I would not class them as the same quality of opposition as Burton.

Tuesday's Derby Evening Telegraph:

The Brewers were outplayed by an eager but composed Torquay side in the first half......In the end Burton hit too many long balls anxiously forward and they could not claim that Torquay did not deserve the points.

Full report at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/sport/Torquay-turn-heat-Brewers-fail-stop-title-wobble/article-881106-detail/article.html



Tuesday's Burton Mail:

....against a slick Torquay United, who are growing in belief that they can take the title race to the wire....Albion deserved full marks for a brave effort with 10 men but, in truth Torquay could have won by a bigger margin.

More at www.burtonmail.co.uk/burtonmail-sport/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=406203