VICTOR Adeboyejo's first senior hat-trick secured a stunning 3-2 victory for ten-man Albion as they came from behind to grab a 3-2 victory over Forest Green Rovers
The former Barnsley man fired Albion ahead but then proved to be the saviour after Forest Green turned the game on its head in the second half when Tom Hamer was red-carded and Connor Wickham fored home from the penalty spot to give the visitors the lead after Reece Brown had equalised early in the second half.
But against the odds Albion showed indomitable spirit to come back and Adeboyejo equalised with a close range finish before sending thr Pirelli Stadium into eruptions of joy with a stunning finish to grab all the points in stoppage time. It was first home League hat-trick since December 2009 and this one meant so much.
At one point in the second half Albion were seven points adrift of safety but after their barnstorming finish to the game they are off the bottom of the table and only three points away from twentieth place.
For the first time this season Albion named an unchanged side as they looked to continue with their improved performances looking for the points to show for it as well after the disappointment of coming away from Shrewsbury Town last weekend without anything to show for their efforts.
In need of a home boost Albion got it within six minutes. Tom Hamer resisted the opportunity to launch a long throw into the box instead getting the ball back from CAmeron Borthwick-Jackson before curling the ball into the middle where ADEBOYEJO guided the ball beyond Luke McGee for his second goal in successive games.
Albion quickly had chances to make it two with Joe Powell seeing a volleyed effort from twelve yards blocked and Sam Hughes heading wide from close range at the back post.
Borthwick-Jackson bursting forwards opened himself up for a shot on eleven minutes but dragged a low effort wide of the target.
Albion were looking bright and purposeful in attack and when Powell bustled his way through down the left and found Adeboyejo the striker had time to turn on the edge of the box but his rising effort was wide of goal.
Adeboyejo was proving a real handful for the Rovers defence and he managed to burst clear down the left on 40 minutes onto a long ball from Borthwick-Jackson but from a narrowing angle he drilled his shot across goal and wide of Luke McGee's goal.
Half time: Burton Albion 1-0 Forest Green Rovers
Albion made a bright start to the second half but were pegged back six minutes after the break from a swift counter attack. A long ball allowed BROWN to exchange passed with Corey O'Keeffe and fire into the net from 15 yards.
After a spell of pressure from the visitors Albion regained their composure and Sam Hughes forced McGee to tip a looping header over the bar but a minute later and Albion were down to ten men when another swift counter attack saw Hamer tug Josh March down inside the area to concede a penalty and leave Albion down to ten men. WICKHAM meted out more punishment by converting the resulting penalty.
Albion summoned Mustapha Carayol and Sam Winnall from the bench and the latter was straight into the action winning a header in the box from Powell's cross but under heavy pressure from McGee and Jordan Moore-Taylor heading wide of the target.
Carayol produced a moment of magic on 82 minutes to set up the equaliser finding the perfect chance to cross from the bye line allowing ADEBOYEJO to sweep in inside the six yard box to equalise.
And the striker fired home a stunning 20 yard dipping effort to put Albion back in front in stoppage time. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and gave a hughe boost to all those inside the Pirelli Stadium after a roller-coaster of an afternoon.
ALBION: Garratt; Hamer, Hughes, Brayford, Borthwick-Jackson; Taylor (Butcher, 89); Keillor-Dunn (Winnall, 74), Oshilaja; Smith (Carayol, 70), Adeboyejo, Powell (Thorpe, 89).
Substitutes: Siniasalo, Onyango, Lakin.
GOALS: ALBION - Adeboyejo (6, 82, 90+2) ; ROVERS - Brown (52), Wickham (69 pen)
Referee: Sunny Singh Gill
Attendance: 2,620