DEPLETED Burton Albion had goalkeeper Artur Krysiak sent off in stoppage time to add to their woes as they slipped to a dispiriting 3-1 defeat at Port Vale last night.

The Brewers also added top scorer Greg Pearson to the growing injury list as they could not hold off a modest Vale side, who were somewhat flattered by the final score.

Debutant centre-half O'Neil Thompson, especially, will not look back on the match with fondness after having an unfortunate role to play in all three Vale goals but, in truth, he was a little unlucky with two of them and looks like he could have a solid role to play with the Brewers.

Burton, so injury-free early in the season, could name only four substitutes, with Steve Kabba and Michael Simpson collecting injuries in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town and Guy Branston suspended after his sending off in that game.

Thompson got in two solid early clearances but he was caught out when Vale took the lead after seven minutes.

Tommy Fraser skipped past him all too comfortably on the right of the box and, when he squared the ball, Marc Richards had plenty of space and time to side-foot a shot past Krysiak.

As if the Brewers did not have enough injury problems, Pearson lasted only 13 minutes before limping off with a hamstring strain, to be replaced by Richard Walker.

But Burton were not being outplayed in a game full of errors and Vale goalkeeper Chris Martin was at fault for the equaliser after 15 minutes.

Cleveland Taylor headed on Andy Corbett's forward ball on the right and chased it himself.

Martin, slow to see the danger, should have reached the ball first but, when Taylor did so, the keeper caught him on the edge of the box.

Shaun Harrad smashed in the penalty confidently.

Five minutes later, Harrad was close to giving the Brewers the lead with a sharp turn and shot from 15 yards. Martin pushed the ball aside at full stretch to his right.

Thompson had added several more solid clearances to his earlier ones but he was caught out again when Vale regained the lead after 25 minutes.

He lost out in a challenge with Richards 30 yards from goal and the ball popped through for Sean Rigg to run clear and fire past the exposed Krysiak.

Neither side was getting a real grip on the game, although the Brewers often looked vulnerable to the home side's quick breaks.

Even so, it was almost 2-2 when John McGrath's free kick from the right flicked off Harrad's head and Martin was again stretched to push the ball away.

Tempers were a little frayed towards half-time and Russ Penn was booked for a late challenge on Anthony Griffiths before Vale's Fraser picked up a yellow card for dissent.

Burton began the second half explosively and Harrad was desperately unlucky not to equalise after 47 minutes when his overhead kick, from Penn's right-wing cross, hit the inside of Martin's right-hand post and stayed out.

Cleveland Taylor was also close after a sharp move instigated by McGrath's break forward in the 53rd minute, the on-loan winger cutting in from the right to shoot across Martin and just wide.

But Burton were fortunate to stay only one behind after 65 minutes when Lewis Haldane made room for himself on the right and Krysiak could not hold his teasing cross, only for Richards to find the side-netting with a decent chance from six yards out.

Lee Collins fired a yard over the bar for the home side after a corner but Cleveland Taylor, giving Kris Taylor, the former Burton loan player, a hard time on the right, shot over after being picked out by Penn in the 63rd minute.

Ill temper in the game was still not far from the surface and, after Paul Boertien was booked for a rash challenge on Haldane near the corner flag, Griffiths was also booked for his part in the ensuing melee.

Vale sealed the points with a soft penalty five minutes from time when substitute Craig Davies did no more than run into Thompson as the defender stood his ground.

Williams netted the penalty and Albion's misery was complete two minutes into stoppage time when Krysiak raced from his area, saw Davies knock the ball past him and brought the Vale man down for an inevitable red card.