npower League 2 action from the Pirelli Stadium
A third game in the space of six days proved one too many as Albion slipped meekly to defeat as Dani Lopez's fourth minute strike provided some much needed comfort for the struggling Shots.The striker on loan from League One Stevenage caught Albion cold with a clinical strike that Dean Lyness could do nothing about and it was all downhill from there for the Brewers as they failed to string cohesive moves together and rarely troubled the Aldershot keeper other than the occasional speculative effort.
Burton showed just one change from the side that beat Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday with Matt Paterson earning a recall as Calvin Zola failed to fully recover from a head injury that forced him off after only twenty minutes at the weekend. The spare place on the bench went to loan signing Jacob Blyth who completed the formalities of his temporary move from Leicester City earlier in the day.
Danny Rose from the visitors was the first man to have a serious strike at goal as he set himself for a volleyed effort in just the second minute but despite a full length dive from Albion keeper Dean Lyness the ball went past the post to his right.
Two minutes later and the visitors had the lead. Danny Hylton fed the ball forward to on loan striker Dani LOPEZ and the Spaniard raced forwards before driving a low shot beyond Lyness.
Albion took a while to get going as too many misplaced passes frustrated all of a Burton persuasion around the ground. Eighteen minutes were on the clock when a searching cross into the middle was flicked on by Matt Paterson in the middle and from a tight angle Chris Palmer drilled a low deflected effort just wide of Jamie Young's far post.
Aldershot looked more of a threat though and good close skill by Peter Vincenti on the edge of the box enabled the former Stevenage man to make room for a right foot curling effort that went over the Burton crossbar.
Just before the half hour mark Albion carved out another opportunity and it owed much to the first touch of Billy Kee who controlled the ball on the edge of the area but on the turn he couldnt quite get the purchase required to beat Young with a left foot effort.
Burton had a half chance shortly before the break as McCrory put another searching ball to the edge of the box and Zander Diamond's towering header was poked towards goal by Paterson with Young making a flamboyant save to push the ball wide of the target and away from danger.
Anthony O'Connor picked up a booking for a rash challenge on Vincenti, a card that summed up a below par performance from the Blackburn youngster.
It brought to an end a totally forgettable half for the Brewers where the visitors had looked by far the more composed side going forward and Albion were in need of some inspiration in the second half to turn the game around.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-1 Aldershot Town
An early Robbie Weir shot gave Albion hope for better things in the second half although that effort was blocked inside the box and a swift break from Lopez down the right saw him dart past Nathan Stanton on the touchline and drive into the penalty area where he was finally adjudged to have fouled Damien McCrory who went in to challenge him as he prepared to shoot.
Danny Hylton flashed a shot wide of goal in the 57th minute when he perhaps should have done better and with Albion much in need of some inspiration they turned to Justin Richards a minute later in place of Paterson to try and create something.
Albion had another let off just after the hour mark as the ball bobbled around inside the Burton box and from close range Lopez smashed a shot that forced a wonderful instinctive save from Lyness.
Burton finally tested Young again on 65 minutes as Richards worked the ball into the path of Kee and with a trademark turn on the edge of the box the young striker fired goalwards only to be foiled by the Australian stopper in the Aldershot goal.
With twenty minutes to play Albion made their second change with Robbie Weir taken off after a disappointing performance and John McGrath brought on to try and inject some creativity into the midfield.
Two substitutions from Aldershot were made before Albion made their third and final change by giving a first outing to Blyth who came on for Jacques Maghoma as the Brewers went with three strikers to try and salvage something.
The young substitute almost made an instant impact with a fine flick header at the near post that had to be hacked off the line by Anthony Tonkin as Damien McCrory's long throw caused mayhem.
Albion exerted some pressure as the game drifted into added time with Zander Diamond getting under a Chris Palmer corner and before Blyth found himself heading into the waiting hands of Young.
Five minutes became even longer as Young required treatment after a challenge from Blyth as Albion tried in vain to get something to go there way but it was most definitely not their night and Aldershot went home deserved winners.
BURTON: Lyness; O'Connor, Diamond, Stanton, McCrory; Palmer, Weir, Bell, Maghoma; Paterson, Kee. Substitutes: Atkins, McGrath, Taylor, Richards, Holness, Dyer, Blyth.
SHOTS: Young, Herd, Tonkin, Morris, Brown, Hylton, Vincenti, Bradley, Cadogan, Rose, Lopez. Substitutes: Payne, Rankine, Sinclair, Mekki, Donnelly, Morris, Seidi.
Referee: Mr. K.Wright (Cambridgeshire)
GOALS: Shots - Lopez (4)