ALBION had to settle for a point from a keenly contested goalless draw with ten-man Blackpool who played the final half an hour of the game a man light after Curtis Tilt's dismissal for two yellow cards.

The Brewers wil be disappointed that they did not capitalise on their extra man and were only denied by some stoic defending from a well drilled Blackpool defence with keeper Jak Alnwick also making at least three key saves to deny Nigel Clough's side.

Scott Fraser, Oliver Sarkic and Liam Boyce were all denied by the Rangers loanee as Albion made it four consecutive home league clean sheets.

After getting back to winning ways against Wimbledon in the week the starting line-up showed three changes. John Brayford returned at right back taking the skipper's armband as well while Lucas Akins moved back to up to lead the attack with Liam Boyce dropping to the bench. Stephen Quinn also returned to the side as the pivot in midfield with Kieran Wallace switching to left back as Reece Hutchinson missed out having picked up a knock in training on Friday. Tuesday's goalscorer, DAvid Templeton, was also rested to the bench with Oliver Sarkic declared fit having missed the midweek action with a tight hamstring.

Referee Carl Boyeson was quick to go to his pocket with barely two minutes on the clock when Nathan Braodhead was bundled to the ground bursting through the middle, Boyeson deciding that Curtis Tilt was the main offender and showing him a yellow card.

Albion were looking bright and purposeful and they were close to an opener on nine minutes when Sarkic got Brayford in behind the Blackpool defence and his cross to the back post was hastily headed away by Ollie Turton as Broadhead tried to get on the end of it.

Blackpool went even closer on 14 minutes as a cross from the right evaded the clutches of Kieran O'Hara, but with the goal gaping for Sullay Kaikai, Brayford was there to hack clear. There was more danger a minute later when big defender Ben Heneghan rose highest at the back post to head back across goal for an unmarked Matty Virtue to blaze over the bar.

As play switched to the other end Sarkic did well to bring an awqkward ball under control and lay it into the path of Scott Fraser, the midfielder forcing Jak Alnwick into a flying save to his left to push the ball away from danger.

After a spell where the ball was stuck in midfield with neither side really able to create anything of note a deep ball in from Edwards found the head of John-Joe O'Toole in the box and the defender's header found Akins although the striker could only guide it onto the roof of the net as he tried to fetch the ball from slightly behind him.

Broadhead was looking extremely lively whenever he got on the ball and he had a sight of goal on 40 minutes with a tricky run across the edge of the box but when space opened up his shot was deflected wide for a corner that the Seasiders were eventually able to get away from goal.

Half time: Burton Albion 0-0 Blackpool

There was little change at the start of the second period as both sides lacked that clinical edge but the game took an interesting turn on 57 minutes when the visitors were reduced to ten men with Tilt dismissed for a second booking after scything down Sarkic as he looked to get on the end of Brayford's ball up the line.

Blackpool quickly made a couple of changes with their own Ryan Edwards brought on to bolster the defence as midfielder Virtue made way and leading scorer Armand Gnanduillet was summoned from the bench to replace Liam Feeney in order to maintain their attacking threat.

Albion still had the attacking impetus and Broadhead turned a cross from Fraser just wide on 64 minutes as the Brewers still sought the breakthrough.

Sarkic forced Alnwick into another good save with a curling free kick on 70 minutes after Quinn had been chopped down by Jordan Thompson as he shaped to shoot on the edge of the box.

Quinn made way for Lloyd Dyer with twenty minutes to go, the winger slotting in at left back freeing Wallace up to move back into midfield.

And Boyce came on for the final quarter of an hour almost opening the scoring with his first touch. After coming on for Sarkic he stationed himself at the near post for a Broadhead corner glancing it goalwards where Alnwick was in the right place to block instinctively.

Albion were forced into a final change with Richard Nartey struggling with a knock and being replaced by Templeton meaning a third position of the afternoon for Wallace slotting in at centre back.

Gnanduillet almost grabbed a winner with two minutes to go bursting through and chipping O'Hara from an acute angle only for the ball to clip the face of the post.

Albion kept pressing in stoppage time but the final ball eluded them and they had to settle for a share of the spoils in front of the watching Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers ahead of Tuesday's big Carabao Cup game.