First-team coach previews Stevenage trip
Burton Albion’s first-team coach Mark Sale hopes to see another good away performance when the Brewers travel to Stevenage on Saturday.
The Brewers followed up Saturday’s defeat to Morecambe with an away win at Carlisle United on Tuesday night, and Sale wants the team to back that up with another good display at the Lamex Stadium this weekend.
“We’re looking to get some consistency back on Saturday. The last few results we’ve won away and lost at home and we need to go back to winning home games and picking up results away.
“Tuesday night was a great result and if we can go and get something from the game on Saturday at Stevenage, we’ll be where we want to be,” Sale said.
Albion’s last two league victories have included impressive wins away at Northampton Town and Carlisle United, and Sale feels that Tuesday’s win was a product of the squad’s efforts over the last few weeks.
“We’ve changed the system a couple of times from playing one up front at Northampton to two up front at Carlisle, and it’s been really nice to score some goals away from home. It’s been a long time coming where we’ve looked like scoring without putting our chances away.
“On Tuesday it all came together and hopefully we can continue scoring a few more and improving our goal difference, Sale added.
The Brewers will be in for a tough afternoon at Stevenage, and Sale has pinpointed the first goal as a key moment in the game.
“I’ve known Graham Westley for a few years and the types of teams he puts out will always look to start well. The key for us is scoring the first goal. It’s a massive thing and nine times out of ten if you score the first goal you go on to win the game.
“We’ll be looking to start well again like we did against Carlisle and take the game to them,” he continued.
Albion will be missing key players with John Mousinho and George Taft out injured, as well as Stuart Beavon and Alex MacDonald serving suspensions. Sale, however, is confident in whoever is selected on Saturday afternoon.
“We’ll miss them and we don’t have the biggest of squads, but the lads who come in will give their all and try to impress and do a job. Dominic Knowles might get a chance to play and he’s perhaps been a bit unlucky not to play more this season, but that’s down to the competition for places we have. We’ll be confident of getting a result whoever we put out in the starting eleven.”