A STRONG finish to extra time was what put Burton Albion into the pot for the second round of the EFL Cup.
Despite a cagey start to the game by both teams, Calum Butcher's eyes lit up when he was played clean through by Stuart Beavon but with just the goalkeeper to beat he was denied by the linesman's flag.Butcher was presented with another great opportunity just moments later as Leigh slipped on the touchline, Butcher picked up the loose ball and made his way into the box before pulling it back to Reilly but his shot from 12 yards only made its way over the Bury cross bar.
The pressure was on Bury for most of the first half as this time Harness cut inside onto the his left foot and let fly from 18 yards but his shot just curled over the bar.
Bury didn't go without their chances in the first half. Mayor and Pope combined well on the edge of the box but Bury's midfielder Pope saw his shot well blocked by the legs of Naylor.
GOAL: Burton made their chances count towards the latter stages of the first half as Callum Reilly struck a curling effort past Ben Williams after playing a lovely one-two with Stuart Beavon in the middle of the park (1-0).
HT: Burton Albion 1-0 Bury (Reilly 36')
GOAL: No sooner had the unchanged teams come out for the second half the visitors were level through Tom Pope. Mayor found space on the edge of the box before picking out the perfect pass to Pope in the middle who curled it past McLaughlin in the Albion goal (1-1).
Former Brewer Zeli Ismail very nearly put the visitors ahead early after the equaliser as his fancy turn past McCrory opened the opportunity for a shot which was well saved by McLaughlin in the Albion goal.
Bury didn't give the Brewers any breathing space at the start of the second half as they piled on the pressure, Jacob Mellies fancied his chances from range but his shot was slightly too high as McLaughlin watched it over the bar.
Matty Palmer was introduced with just over 15 minutes to go as he replaced Jackson Irvine.
The Albion skipper for the night, Kyle McFadzean, was replaced by Tom Flanagan with just over ten minutes to go, Tom Naylor picked up the arm band. Reilly was replaced by Akins shortly after.
Calum Butcher thought he had won the game for Burton late on as he picked up a lovely back heel from Stuart Beavon before bending an effort towards the far post, only to be denied by Ben Williams.
Just as the fourth official indicated the added time it was Bury's Jacob Mellis who raced through on goal, he looked to have wrapped the game up for the visitors but he was brilliantly denied by Jon McLaughlin.
FT: Burton Albion 1-1 Bury
Neither teams made any changes as they went into the first period of extra time.
GOAL: Not a lot happened in the first half of extra time, apart from a goal of the season contender from Stuart Beavon. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box before spinning and lashing it into the top corner (2-1).
HT - ET: Burton Albion 2-1 Bury
GOAL: The Albion finished the game off with five minutes of the extra time to go as Calum Butcher lined up a shot from inside the box which deflected past Ben Williams (3-1).
GOAL: Bury pulled a second goal back through Maher, he curled a free kick into the bottom corner form the edge of the box (3-2).
FT - ET: Burton Albion 3-2 Bury
Attendance: 1,523.
Ash's man of the match: Tom Naylor