A fitting match-winner from Josh Sheehan secured Wanderers’ first ever victory at Burton and finally propelled the Whites into the play-off places, writes Pete Oliver.
Sheehan’s 30-yard screamer ended a six-game wait for success at the Pirelli Stadium as Wanderers made it seven wins from nine games as one of the form teams of the division.
Their recent momentum hadn’t been enough to broach the top six but with other results going their way and Wanderers looking after their own business, Steven Schumacher’s men got their reward with a move up to sixth spot and the chance to keep putting the pressure on the teams above them.
Nothing comes easy, however, and the Whites certainly had to fight all the way for an eighth away success of the campaign once they had failed to build on their first-half superiority.
Aaron Morley continued his fine run of form by firing the Whites into a deserved lead but after Ryan Sweeney’s controversial leveller for Burton eight minutes into the second half, it took something special from Sheehan to win it.
Wanderers made three changes to their starting line-up following their mid-week win over table-topping Birmingham as George Johnston’s impressive run in the side was ended by injury and Chris Forino and Carlos Mendes Gomes reverted to the bench.
Will Forrester and Alex Murphy therefore returned to a Whites’ defence which didn’t have to deal with former Wanderers’ striker Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, who was denied a reunion and the chance to try and help the Brewers’ on-going fight against the drop by injury.
Wanderers’ in-form front pair of Aaron Collins and John McAtee continued to lead the Whites’ attack and in a lively opening took turns to drop deep to open up space behind them.
Morley was often the man to race into the gap and it was the midfielder who fired Schumacher’s men in front mid-way through the opening half.
Again, he timed his run perfectly to arrive in the penalty area and meet a ball from George Thomason which McAtee allowed to run past him for Morley to thump home a first-time, right-foot finish.
Moments later Wanderers again threatened on the break but this time didn’t make the most of the opportunity as Collins couldn’t collect Jordi Osei-Tutu’s pass cleanly enough to get past keeper Max Crocombe.
The Whites were well on top, though, as they pressed for a second goal before the break which nearly came as Burton were opened up on the counter-attack once more and Collins had a shot blocked when the ball was finally ferried to him – rather than fired on target by Thomason – inside the six-yard box.
The lack of more of a ruthless streak was arguably Wanderers’ only fault in an impressive first half as Burton, whose defeat at high-flying Wycombe in mid-week was only their third loss since Boxing Day, were kept comfortably at arm’s length.
Inevitably there was some response from the home side at the start of the second half and Luke Southwood was called into the action for the first time to save an effort from Charlie Webster at his near post as the Brewers forced the first of a succession of corners.
And from the third they claimed a controversial equaliser. Power-house defender Sweeney forced Southwood to make an excellent stop from his header but then appeared to bundle the ball goalwards with his hand as he lay on the floor.
There was some debate as to whether the ball had even crossed the line but following a debate between the officials the goal was given and Wanderers had to do it all again to try and regain the initiative.
It didn’t take them long. With an hour gone Wanderers were given a free-kick 30 yards from goal and even though Morley’s effort hit the wall, Sheehan reacted quickest to latch onto the loose ball with a stunning strike which flew into the net to make it 2-1.
If that was a brilliant hit, Burton’s Charlie Webster almost equalled it with a long-range volley Southwood touched over the top with 20 minutes to go and when Rumarn Burrell then headed an excellent chance over the top with Forrester off getting treatment, Wanderers knew they still had work to do.
Burrell had another opportunity after Southwood had parried a JJ McKiernan effort as what had been a fairly comfortable afternoon remained in the balance.
But Wanderers have made winning a habit in recent weeks and again they had what was needed to see it out and with a welcome first over the Brewers give further impetus to their top-six push.
Wanderers: Southwood; Toal, Forrester, Murphy; Sheehan; Dacres-Cogley (Forino 89), Morley, Thomason, Osei-Tutu (Schön 68); McAtee (Randall 68); Collins (Lolos 89). Substitutes: Baxter, Forino, Mendes Gomes, Matete.
Booked: Sheehan, Murphy
Burton Albion: Crocombe, VanCooten, Sweeney, Armer; Godwin-Malife, Lofthouse, McKiernan, Dodgson; Webster; Burrell (Chauke 83), Bennett (Stretton 83). Substitutes: Isted, Kalinauskas, Larsson, Delap, Forde.
Booked: McKiernan, Armer, Lofthouse, Bennett
Referee: Lee Swabey
Attendance: 4,172