DANIEL Jebbison was Albion's matchwinner on the Fylde Coast as his 77th minute goal sent Albion through to the Second Round of the Emirates FA Cup after a 2-1 won over fellow League One side Fleetwood Town
In a game short on real quality due to the horrendous wind and rain battering the Highbury Stadium, particularly in the second half, it was always going to be a game where grit and determination would have to be at the fore and Albion showed it in bucketloads, recovering from an early goal against from Joe Garner to equalise within two minutes thanks to a screamer from Joe Powell and then win tackles and make blocks aplenty to nullify the threat of the home side.
With the weather at its worst Jebbison showed plenty of composure to take down Tom Hamer's dinked pass and finish calmly to nudge the Brewers ahead where they would stay until the final whistle.
As Albion ventured into the Emirates FA Cup boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink went with a strong side but still maed four changes to the side beaten at Wigan in League One last time out. Hasselbaink opted to revert to the 3-4-1-2 formation that worked so well last time at Fleetwood. Ryan Leak was restored to the defence as part of the three at the back alongside Conor Shaughnessy and Deji Oshilaja. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson returned at left winig back with Tom Hamer on the right. Terry Taylor returned to partner Michael Mancienne in the centre of midfield whilst Kane Hemmings returned in attack to partner Daniel Jebbison, Joe Powell was handed the role of pulling the strings in behind the strikers.
As both sides took time to settle in the blustery conditions it took a while for the game to have any flow about it. The home side looked to get to grips quickest and only a smart save from Ben Garratt kept it scoreless in the first ten minutes. Albion squandered possession too easily and the ball was eventually worked in to Callum Morton, the on loan frontman unable to steer his effort past the Albion keeper.
When the eleventh minute came round Albion did concede. There appeared to be a foul on Powell as Fleetwood built their attack but the pace and trickery of Shayden Morris on the right led to a low cross that Garratt failed to cut out and GARNER had the simple task of knocking it over the line.
The home lead lasted two minutes as Albion hit back almost immediately. Hemmings showed strength to win the ball on the right and find Mancienne, the former Chelsea man wriggling free of the attentions of his marker to square the ball for POWELL to lash home from the edge of the box.
Albion had strong shouts for a penalty waved away by referee Tom Reeves midway through the half as Hemmings beat Alex Cairns to the bounce of the ball just inside the ball and knocked it past him before being brought down by the outstretched leg of the home keeper. Hemmings had an open goal once past the keeper but the match official was unmoved.
With the wind at their backs Albion pushed forwards and Jebbison trtied his luck from distance on 29 minutes but his effort took a deflection and dipped over the bar.
Hemmings then took a turn at peppering the Fleetwood goal but his shot on the turn fizzed wide of the post.
Fleetwood rarely threatened but when Garratt ventured from his goal to try and beat Morris to the ball the winger showed speed to get there first and fire the ball towards the unguarded net without the accuracyt needed to score.
The half petered out somewhat as the wind picked up and made conditions tricky again.
Half time: Fleetwood Town 1-1 Burton Albion
Albion, now playing against the wind started the second half brightly and a well worked move down the left fashioned a chance for Borthwick-JAckson, his left footer was always rising but at least got a deflection to win his side a corner.
As conditions worsened and the rain returned it became more of a battle and at times Albion had to defend deep and scrap to get the ball away and get bodies in the way of Fleetwood attacks.
Most of the second half was a non-event as the conditions played more and more of a significant effect but ironically, with the weather at its very worst Albion produced a moment of real quality to hit the front. The tirelss Taylor and Jebbison battled on the edge of the Fleetwood box to win possession. Tom Hamer picked up the ball and impudently lobbed the ball over the Fleetwood defence where JEBBISON had made his run to control and fire past Cairns.
Albion hunted Fleetwood down in packs as the game ticked by to prevent their hosts building a head of steam in search of an equaliser and with five minutes to go a double substitution saw Hemmings and Jebbison replaced by Aaron Amadi-Holloway and Omari Patrick to bring that extra little bit of energy up top for the closing stages.
In the end the home side could muster nothing to trouble Garratt and Albion were safely through to the second round.
ALBION: Garratt; Shaughnessy, Leak, Oshilaja; Hamer, Mancienne, Taylor, Borthwick-Jackson; Powell; Hemmings (Patrick, 85), Jebbison (Amadi-Holloway, 85).
Substitutes: Balcombe, Morris, O'Connor, Blake-Tracy, Maddox, Chapman, Lakin.
GOALS: FLEETWOOD - Garner (12) ; ALBION - Powell (14), Jebbison (77)
Referee: Tom Reeves