ALBION returned from their early pre-season travels to take on Nottingham Forest in the first of three home pre-season friendlies and only a goal from experienced defender Steve Cook handed Steve Cooper's Premier League newcomers victory
Cook stretched to head home a corner from Cafu early in the second half after an evenly contested first half where both sides had chances to grab the lead but neither could find the finishing touch to cap their hard work.
Albion fans got to see new signing Davis Keillor-Dunn for the first time and he was a bright spark in the opening forty five minutes with Sam Hughes also looking impressive and strong at the heart of the Brewers defence.
Keillor-Dunn quickly found his passing range with a couple of exquisite cross field passes to get John Brayford pushing forward down the right hand side.
Gassan Ahadme had the first chance of the game as early as the fifth minute, Forest switching off at the back and conceding possession allowing Deji Oshilaja to feed the ball into the striker on the edge of the box. A first time shot was on but Ahadme worked a closer opening only to see his placed shot come back off the face of the post.
Trialist A was next to go close with an angled shot from the edge of the area that was held by Forest's on-loan keeper Dean Henderson.
Forest started to exert themselves and new signing Taiwo Awoniyi had their first effort with a rising drive that narrowly cleared the angle of Ben Garratt's goal.
Oli Hammond showed a searing burst of pace to escape down the right on 17 minutes and his cross found Lyle Taylor. Garratt though was on him in a flash to smother his shot on the turn at close range. Awoniyi then saw a deflected effort that landed just the wrong side of the post before Albion threatened again. A more than solid challenge from Conor Shaughnessy sent the ball forward to Ahadme and he fed Keillor-Dunn to his left, the former Oldham man seeing his shot loop up off a Forest defender and drop over the bar.
Sam Hughes was also looking impressive for Albion, looking sharp and strong in the challenge after his first full pre-season in two years after his ACL injury that kept him out for over twelve months.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Half time substitutions saw Trialist B replace Trialist A in a central midfield role, Ciaran Gilligan replaced Keillor-Dunn and Will Kokolo appeared in place of Conor Shaughnessy.
Forest took the lead eleven minutes after the break, COOK heading home Cafu's corner via the inside of the post.
As the hour mark came and went Albion swapped strikers wth Louis Moult getting a run up top in place of Ahadme. Five minutes later Forest made no fewer than eight substitutions with a number of their youngsters taking to the field.
Such is the nature of massed substitutions, it broke up the flow of the game somewhat although Forests's youngsters were eager to impress.
One of Albion's academy graduates, Charlie Williams, got the final eighteen minutes or so to show what he can do, replacing Charlie Lakin and Frazer Brake-Tracy enabled Tom Hamer to get a breather for the closing stages.
Moult forced Henderson into what proved to be a fairly routine save late on with a shot from the edge of the box. Williams then spurned a superb chance to grab a last minute equaliser sliding in to connect with a low cross from Kokolo but unable to find the target.
A good workout for the Brewers who face Birmingham City on Saturday when the Bass Vase will be at stake for both clubs.
ALBION: Garratt; Brayford (Radcliffe, 82), Hughes (Taylor, 82), Shaughnessy (Kokolo, 46), Hamer (Blake-Tracy, 73); Borthwick-Jackson; Lakin (Williams, 73), Oshilaja, Trialist A (Trialist B, 46); Lakin, Keillor-Dunn (Gilligan, 46); Ahadme (Moult, 60).
Substitutes: Sinisalo.
GOALS: FOREST - Cook (56)
Referee: Ollie Yates
Attendance: 3,075