Weir and Symes are on target as Burton Albion stage a recovery and move up to second
BURTON Albion climbed to second in League Two as they came from behind to grind out a gritty 2-1 victory at Aldershot Town last night.
Fortune is shining on the Brewers at the moment and, remarkably, they were the only team in the top seven to win with a full programme of games played.
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Burton Albion stage recovery to defeat Aldershot Town and move up to second place in League Two table
Such is the confidence and determination about Gary Rowett's men at the moment that they brushed off the irritation of conceding an early goal on a ground where they have often struggled in recent years.
Saturday's knocks to Jacques Maghoma and Billy Kee ruled both players out and they were replaced by Calvin Zola up front and Adam Drury on the right wing, with Alex MacDonald moving to the left.
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The Brewers were caught cold in only the third minute when Paul McCallum managed to get in behind the defence down the inside left channel and finished well, firing the ball across Stuart Tomlinson.
Immediately, there were echoes of the game at the Pirelli Stadium when the Shots scored an early goal and held on to it in some comfort for the rest of the game.
For a while, the Brewers were being rushed into most things they were doing by an eager Aldershot side, who have been revitalised by new manager Andy Scott, but they still created a number of half-chances.
MacDonald was off target with an ambitious chip from 20 yards when Michael Symes teed him up after 10 minutes, while a Symes header from an Anthony O'Connor cross three minutes later caused keeper Glenn Morris no trouble.
Drury had a shot blocked in a goalmouth melee after a corner from MacDonald but Aldershot looked dangerous on the break and Burton were relieved to clear when Lionel Ainsworth outran Damien McCrory down the right and fired in a dangerous low cross.
Tomlinson was called into action after 37 minutes when Danny Rose hit a fierce drive from 25 yards, the keeper beating it away to his left.
Back at the other end, Symes pulled a shot wide after Zola headed the ball down but the Brewers equalised a minute before the break.
MacDonald, who has begun to take long throws for the team, got one back on the right, his cross was headed down by Zander Diamond and when Aldershot could not clear the ball, Robbie Weir scored with a low drive through a crowd of players from the edge of the box.
The Brewers started the second half with a spring in their step and Weir had a volley gathered by Morris after Ian Sharps' header from MacDonald's corner was cleared off the line.
Morris did well for the Shots after 55 minutes, racing out to clear a poor back pass 30 yards from goal when Zola looked like he might capitalise.
The keeper also clutched a low cross from O'Connor at full stretch after the Brewers' best spell of passing in the game.
Zola, again feeling his hamstring, limped off after 58 minutes, Matt Paterson replacing him.
At this stage, Burton looked the more likely side to get the next goal, with Aldershot's attempts to get forward breaking down repeatedly and Sharps and Diamond looking immovable at the back.
And get it they did after 65 minutes, with a marvellous effort from Symes.
He was up against three defenders when a long ball came forward but took it on his chest, turned and hooked a 16-yard volley into the top right-hand corner of Morris's net.
From that point on, it was largely a matter of killing the game for the Brewers.
Aldershot's fragile confidence had gone and, although they threw themselves forward and sacrificed a defender, Terrell Forbes, for a striker, Jeff Goulding, they were devoid of ideas in the last third.
Tomlinson caused an alarm in stoppage time, rushing from his area to get half a punch on a corner, but the ball fell kindly for Paterson to run the ball out of defence.
The Brewers survived a late scramble in their area as well but it appears the force is with them right now and they hung on for another vital victory.
Comments
by AndyPaine
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 8:24AM
“How good is it being a Brewer at the moment? Slow off the marks and we struggled first half to contain Aldershot - but we did and Weir's goal at the stroke of half time was needed. Second half we were a different team, ran at Aldershot, gave them no time on the ball and really got stuck in. Diamond and Symes won everything in the air, Weir, Bell and Drury ran for everything and Pato awesome his 'defending from the front' brilliant. What a squad of players this is and with GR getting everything out of them, second place is where we deserve to be. Loved it!!”