FORMER Albion loan striker Daniel Jebbison did plenty to impress Sheffield United fans as he bagged a brace in a 3-0 victory over the Brewers as they continue to prepare for the new EFL season.
Jebbison scored twice in ten first half minutes showing plenty of pace and power leading the line for Paul Heckingbottom's side and setting them on the way to victory, something that was rounded off when Enda Stevens' piledriver found its way in from 25 yards midway through the second half.
Home fans got their final chance to see the Albion team in action ahead of next week's season opener at Wycombe with still some work to do before things kick off in earnest at Adams Park.
Albion lined up with a back four, Tom Hamer and Frazer Blake-Tracy the full backs with skipper John Brayford and Deji Oshilaja paired in the middle. Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was in a holding role with Ciaran Gilligan and Davis Keillor-Dunn in more advanced midfield roles. Jonny Smith and Quevin Castro offered the wide support to striker Gassan Ahadme.
The Blades were first to threaten when Jebbison forced Ben Garratt into a good stop at his near post and as Albion struggled to clear a shot from Ismaila Coulibaly thudded back into play off the crossbar.
In slick conditions, after a pre-match shower, United continued to look sharp in attack and Jebbison looked set to head home a right wing cross until Brayford somehow got there first to head away from danger.
Castro was looking lively for Albion with some quick footwork on the left although his shot from 22 yards was never troubling Blades keeper Jordan Amissah. Jebbison was close again for United on 22 minutes, picked out at the back post by United's trialist right back but sidefooting wide of the post.
Amissah produced an excellent save to keep the scores level on 27 minutes when Keillor-Dunn took charge of a set-piece twenty five yards out after Castro had been sent sprawling.
Coulibaly forced Garratt into a low save but on the half hour United had the lead, and of course, it had to be that man JEBBISON, using his pace to burst into the box, shrug off a challenge and take the ball around Garratt before sliding the ball in from a tightening angle.
Only a superb save from Garratt stopped Coulibaly doubling United's lead two minutes later, a deep cross from the right picking out his run and although the United man caught it sweetly on the volley, Garratt rushed bacl across his goal and somehow kept it out.
Jebbison used that pace again five minutes before the break to surge clear once again and this time it was an emphatic drilled finish into the far corner to double his, and United's tally for the evening.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-2 Sheffield United
Albion made three changes for the start of the second half, the three latest additions to the squad, Calum Butcher, Victor Adeboyejo and the returning Joe Powell comeing on for Blake-Tracy, Gilligan and Ahadme.
Powell quickly started to spark things with some searching passes and a superb raking low shot five minutes in that fizzed just past the upright.
United found their rhythm again as the second half progressed and Albion's defence was getting a severe testing as Oshilaja had to hack clear, Garratt had to punch a dangerous corner clear and then fingertip a dipping cross from the trialist over his crossbar as the hour mark approached.
The visitor's pressure eventually paid off on 63 minutes when a corner was only cleared as far as STEVENS, 25 yards out and the wing back fired a low shot through all the bodies in the box and beyond the clutches of Garratt.
Albion tried to respond and Powell found Adeboyejo on the right, the striker's cross hitting a defender and flying wide for a corner.
Powell whipped a free kick not too far wide of the target before Butcher sent Smith racing away from inside his own half but his eventual shot was wild and wide of the target. It proved to be the last action for the popular Brewers winger as he made way for Charlie Lakin for the final twenty minutes of action.
Jebbison played on, even though the assistant had flagged for offside, the striker having made a good run and his low cross was met by a first time effort from Oli Norwood that whistled over the angle of post and bar.
Will Kokolo and Louis Moult also made late appearances with the latter showing some good link up play with Powell and Adeboyejo but without forcing Amissah into a meaning full save.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink now has a clear week to finalise his team line-up and approach for a weeks time when there will be three points at stake.
ALBION: Garratt; Hamer, Brayford, Oshilaja, Blake-Tracy (Butcher, 46); Borthwick-Jackson; Gilligan (Powell, 46), Keillor-Dunn (Moult, 79); Smith (Lakin, 69), Ahadme (Adeboyejo, 46), Castro (Kokolo, 73).
Substitutes: Sinisalo, Taylor, Mancienne.
GOALS: BLADES - Jebbison (31, 40), Stevens (63)
Referee: James Beard
Attendance: 1,524