OLIVER Sarkic's first senior goal in English football set the Brewers up for another night of League Cup giant-killing as Premier League Bournemouth were sent back to the south coast after a 2-0 defeat on an eventful night at the Pirelli Stadium
Big cup games under the Burton floodlights are often special occasions but Albion had to overcome three second half delays for floodlight failures following a problem in the town along with a lively Bournemouth side before Nathan Broadhead sealed victory with a fine finish to set Albion up with a home tie against Leicester City in the fourth round.
Albion could have won by a bigger margin as visiting keeper Mark Travers made several good saves but a well marshalled defence rarely looked in trouble late on as Albion secured just a third ever victory over top flight opposition, all coming in this competition.
As Albion looked to take that third Premier League scalp after last season's epic run in the competition boss Nigel Clough made four changes for the visit of the Cherries. John-Joe O'Toole returned after serving his suspension whilst Reece Hutchinson slotted in at left back with Colin Daniel ruled out after picking up two yellow cards in the previous rounds. Scott Fraser and Liam Boyce also made timely returns to the team as both John Brayford and Stephen Quinn missed out through injury.
Although Bournemouth dominated most of the early possession it was Albion with the first shot in anger on six minutes when Ryan Edwards robbed Lewis Cook in midfield enabling Boyce to push forwards and let fly with a rising shot that was deflected over the bar at the expense of a corner.
Albion were finding space down the left and they grabbed the lead on 14 minutes. Hutchinson bombed forwards and dug out a cross towards the back post where SARKIC lashed in from 12 yards.
The Brewers were lifted by the goal and Mark Travers in the Cherries goal was quickly called into action when Nathan Broadhead forced a good save from him with a curling effort from 15 yards out.
Bournemouth took a while to get back into their stride from an attacking perspective before Albion got a second wind and could easily have had a penalty when Jack Simpson appeared to handle as he tried to control and clear on 33 minutes.
Richard Nartey went into referee John Busby's book for a block on Jordan Ibe as the Bournemouth frontman looked to lead a charge on the Burton goal.
Kieran O'Hara came to Albion's rescue moments later when Ryan Fraser showed a burst of pace to get in behind the Burton back line on the end of Dominic Solanke's pass but the Manchester United loanee was quickly out to close down the Scotland winger and deny him a clean strike on goal, picking up a knock in the process that required attention from Nick Fenton before he got back to his feet and completed the job by imperiously punching clear the resulting corner.
Half time: Burton Albion 1-0 AFC Bournemouth
Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe made a change for the second half with Liverpool loanee Harry Wilson replacing Gavin Kilkenny in the heart of the Cherries midfield but it was former Liverpool man Solanke who almost got on the end of a teasing cross as the game restarted, O'Toole alert and well placed to intercept at the near post before the striker could get on the end of it.
Simpson, who got away with the penalty shout in the first half did get pulled up by referee Busby on 50 minutes as he sent Boyce tumbling on the half way line to pick up a yellow card.
Ryan Edwards also went in the book after bringing a Bournemouth attack to an abrupt end before there was an even swifter hold up to proceedings as a power issue in the town centre plunged the stadium into darkness twice in quick succession.
With play back under way Lewis Cook blazed a decent chance wide after probing work down the right from Ibe.
After a third interruption Albion almost doubled their lead when Broadhead got on the end of a beautifully flighted cross and was only denied by a fingertip save from Travers as the ball headed for the bottom corner.
With play very much back under way and with the referee having indicated a minimum of TWENTY-EIGHT minutes of added time, Albion struck in the seventh of those added minutes. Sarkic was allowed room to drive a low cross through the box and BROADHEAD was there at the far post to squeeze it home.
Sarkic almost had his second of the night almost immediately when Hutchinson's cross came to him inside the six yard box but Travers made an instinctive save to keep Albion's lead at just two.
Albion continued to go in search of a third goal and it almost arrived when Sarkic set up Broadhead again but this time his curling effort was wide of the target. Edwards then saw a shot blocked before Akins drilled the rebound over the bar.
There was time towards the end for a substitute appearance from the returning Lloyd Dyer who was announced as a Burton player again earlier in the day. Needless to say the winger got a warm welcome from the Pirelli Stadium crowd as he took Broadhead's place out wide on the left.
Bournemouth perhaps sensed that it really wasnt to be their night when big defender Chris Mepham rose highest in the box but headed a corner against the post.
Referee John Busby brought the game to a close shortly afterwards to finish a game with so many talking points. Last year's run was eventful, this year's is proving to have just as many talking points.