A 10-man Brewers side began their League One campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town at the Pirelli Stadium, in front of a Crowd of 4,565.

Luke Garbutt’s deflected first-half strike decided the game, despite the Brewers going close through Lucas Akins, Liam Boyce and John Brayford.

Stephen Quinn was sent-off for Albion in the second-half for a second bookable offence, as the Brewers handed league debuts to John-Joe O’Toole, Kieran O’Hara, Ryan Edwards, Nathan Broadhead and Oliver Sarkic.

After an uneventful start to proceedings, the visitors broke the deadlock when Garbutt’s low strike deflected off John-Joe O’Toole and beyond Kieran O’Hara.

Flynn Downes almost doubled the lead, when he was slipped in down the right by James Norwood’s sweeping pass. The wideman cut inside and shot, only to be denied by an outstanding save by O’Hara.

Danny Rowe also went close for Ipswich when he drove inside from the right and fired just wide from the edge of the box, before Brayford went closest for the Brewers in the first-half.

The defender’s powerful cross-shot almost snuck inside Tomas Holy’s near-post, only for the former Gillingham goalkeeper to tip the ball wide acrobatically.

Albion went in to the first half-time of the season 1-0 down, but they started the second-half strongly and could have taken the lead when Akins fired over the bar from inside the penalty area.

Boyce went close moments after, when his low drive flew just wide of the post from the edge of the box, as the hosts pushed hard for an equaliser.

Just after the hour-mark, Norwood had his first chance of the match. He latched onto a through ball and stabbed the ball past O’Hara, but also the far-post as the ball flew harmlessly wide.

Nathan Broadhead entered the fray on 66 minutes to make his Burton Albion debut, but it was Rowe that had threatened next, with his shot requiring a big block from Jake Buxton.

With 13 minutes remaining, Quinn was sent off by referee Ross Joyce for a second bookable offence, having earlier been booked for a foul on Norwood in the first-half.

Despite the dismissal, Albion were still in the game and went close when Boyce charged down a clearance from Holy, with the call canning off the striker and going narrowly wide.

The moment prompted the second dismissal of the match, as a member of the Ipswich coaching was sent to the stands for kicking the lid of a drinks container onto the pitch.

Liam Boyce almost rescued a point in added-time, as his goal-bound header was deflected over the bar. 

Ultimately, the Brewers were unable to equalise as Ipswich secured an opening-day victory.