FULL-BACK Max Raine was pleased to have been part of a spirited away team performance after the Young Brewers drew 0-0 away at Rotherham United.
Raine played the full 90 minutes as Albion’s Professional Development Phase side collected a positive result on the road, keeping a clean sheet against a Millers outfit who hit five goals past Huddersfield Town in their previous match.
“We know they [Rotherham] have been in good form and have been doing well so it was important that we stayed firm as a defensive unit today and I thought we did that,” the defender said.
“I thought it was a very hard-earned point. Like I said, we knew it was going to be a tough battle; Rotherham like a long ball so we knew we needed to stay nice and compact.
“Sam Rose set us out with a good formation, and we followed through and obviously got the point. I thought we could’ve won it but we’re happy enough with a point.
“We’ve had to battle for each other today and I think we’ve shown some encouraging signs ahead of Doncaster on Saturday, as well as obviously Preston [North End] next week.
“The spirit’s high in the changing room at the moment and we’ve got to make sure that we use that to our advantage in the games that are coming up if we can.”
Tuesday’s match against Rotherham in South Yorkshire was the first of a few important fixtures to come for Burton’s youngsters over the next two weeks, the most notable of which being an EFL Youth Alliance Cup semi-final against Preston.
Raine believes that having lots of games to play in a fairly short space of time is something that he and his teammates should relish, due to the familiarity that they have with a number of different systems and formations.
He said: “It keeps you going, keeps you ticking over and really helps in terms of fitness. We know the main game is Preston in the cup but it’s also really important that we continue to pick points up in the league.
“We’ve played three at the back when I’ve slotted in as a wing-back, which demands a lot in terms of joining the attack, but we’re also comfortable playing with a back four like we did today. I think our flexibility is definitely a strength of ours.
“As a left-back, you’ve got to do your defensive duties as well as your attacking duties. I thought myself and Ben Maginness did a fairly good job of finding that balance, and the whole team performed well.
“From Greg [Lewis] all the way through to Callum [Niven] up front; everyone stuck to their job, did their roles, and we got something from the game because of that.”