BURTON ALBION showed plenty of grit and determination to pick up a hard earned point from a goalless draw with play-off contenders Plymouth Argyle.
Chances were few and far between for either side with Plymouth showing some early promise and seeing an effort cleared off the line within a minute of the start and visiting keeper Michael Cooper denied both Harry Chapman and Joe Powell in the second half.
Albion showed five changes from the defeat at Morecambe with a change in goal seeing Matej Kovar come in for his debut as Ben Garratt dropped to the bench. The defence reverted to a back three with Sam Hughes, John Brayford and Deji Oshilaja. Michael Mancienne returned to the team and was paired with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson in the centre of midfield, Tom Hamer on the right and Will Kokolo returning on the left. In attack a combination of Jonny Smith and the recalled pair of Joe Powell and Harry Chapman as Albion went without an orthodox striker.
Plymouth had shouts for a goal in the first minute as a free kick was swung into the back post and Joe Edwards' header was superbly cleared off the line by John Brayford.
Albion had another scare on seventeen minutes when a quickly taken free kick on the Plymouth right had Jordon Garrick free in the channel and his low ball was poked goalwards with Kovar making an initial save and the loose ball coming out to the edge of the box where it was fired narrowly over the bar.
Burton were playing some neat football when they got the ball to their forward options but it was Borthwick-Jackson who came closest to breaking the deadlock with a rasping shot from the edge of the box just after the half hour mark, the ball flying just wide of the target.
Chapman then looked to get on the end of a teasing Smith cross on 40 minutes but could not quite stretch to get his head on the ball as it evaded keeper Michael Cooper too.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-0 Plymouth Argyle
Jonny Smith failed to reappear after the break having picked up what appeared to be a shoulder injury before half time and it wes Christian Saydee that was called up to lead the line.
A delightful backheel pass from Chapman sent Powell surging into the box but looking for the chance to shoot on his favoured left foot he eventually found himself crowded out by defenders who got the ball away to safety.
Burton were inches away from the opener when Chapman forced a superb save from Cooper and there was a slice of luck for the visiting keeper when he pushed it onto the shin of Tom Hamer as it looked like the wing back was about to turn the ball in.
Plymouth had a chance from a free kick just outside the box but Macaulay Gillesphey's curling effort cleared the bar although not by much.
Chapman and Powell combined again on 65 minute to threaten the Argyle goal, this time Cooper getting down well to smother Powell low drive from the edge of the penalty area.
Jacob Maddox got the call with fifteen minutes remaining replacing Mancienne in the heart of the midfield and he was followed by Moult, coming on for Chapman to pep things up for the final ten minutes.
The game became rather scrappy late on with a flurry of yellow cards, including Powell and Maddox for Albion anad there was a late scare when Plymouth's final substitute, former Albion man Ryan Broom flicked a header towards goal but the save from Kovar was relatively comfortable.
A clean sheet then for Albion, their first of 2022 and something to build on in the remaining games.
ALBION: Kovar; Hughes, Brayford, Oshilaja; Hamer, Mancienne (Maddox, 74), Borthwick-Jackson, Kokolo; Smith (Saydee, 46), Chapman (Moult, 83), Powell.
Substitutes: Garratt, Ahadme, Leak, Lakin.
GOALS:
Referee: Leigh Doughty
Attendance: 3,938