A youthful Burton Albion Reserve side drew 2-2 against an experienced Wrexham.
A Burton Albion Reserve team made up of three first-team squad players, two 16 year-olds and scholars put in a pleasing performance against a Wrexham Reserve side which featured a number of first-team players.
The Albion youngsters started brightly in the opening five minutes and got their reward as first-teamer Ben Fox who is currently on loan at Tamworth scored a thumping penalty to give Albion the lead. Wrexham, however responded well and quickly with Leo Smith rolling the ball into an empty net. Wrexham scored again ten minutes later to give them the lead through Jamie McColl who fired in from a tight angle past Harry Campbell.
Albion saw out the first-half well and responded well in the second, Harness scored the equalizer after a good bit of individual skill through the middle of the park and took the ball round the keeper and slotted into an empty net.
Academy manager Dan Robinson said after the match: “I am really pleased with the performance, the first half they put us under a lot of pressure but we ensured we went into the break with only a one goal deficit. We came out in the second-half and really stepped it up, we played with purpose. We could have gone onto win the game if things had fallen our way. It’s a outstanding performance and good for the academy boys to play against senior players. For a young player to come to a club where you get the opportunity if you’re good enough to play reserve football at 16 is great and it is exciting for the future knowing we have players that can make this step-up so soon in their careers. It’s great that the first team manager Nigel Clough has faith in them to play in these sort of fixtures”