ALBION suffered a frustrating defeat at Montgomery Waters Meadow as Shrewsbury Town put a dent in the Brewers upturn in form with a 2-1 win.
Former Burton loanee Christian Saydee put the home side ahead against the run of play with their first shot on goal after Albion had made a bright start and the game was there for the taking when Victor Adeboyejo bundled home an equaliser just before the hour mark. But Albion succumbed to The Shrews only other attempt on target when Ryan Bowman stroked home midway through the second half and although the Brewers pushed and pushed they could not find a second equaliser and left with no reward for largely dominating the game.
After their opening League win of the campaign against Exeter City last weekend Dino Maamria was forced into one change from that team with Ciaran Gilligan sidelined with a hamstring injury. With Calum Butcher also struggling with a minor knock it was Joe Powell who moved into central midfield facilitating a return for Jonny Smith after his goalscoring return in the Papa John's Trophy win at Sheffield Wednesday in midweek. Goalkeeper coach Jake Kean was a surprise addition to the bench with Viljami Sinisalo on international duty with Finland and young back-up Daniel Moore signing on loan for Belper Town.
A positive start from Albion almost brought them a goal inside three minutes. A left footed cross from Tom Hamer found the head of SAm Hughes six yards out and keeper Marko Marosi had to push it onto the roof of the net as it looked to be dropping underneat the crossbar.
For all of Albion's early promise they found themselves behind on thirteen minutes as a familar face came back to haunt them. A long ball forward found SAYDEE and he was able to hold off Hughes and drill a low angled drive beyhond Garratt. The young striker was almost in again a couple of minutes later in a more central position but a combination of Hughes and John BRayford did enough to see off the danger.
Smith saw a shot blocked from a well worked corner and Adeboyejo was inches away from a teasing ball in from HAmer as Albion went in search of an equaliser.
Albion were inches away from levelling on 31 minutes when HAmer's long throw was flicked goalwards by Hughes and only the alert reaction of George Nurse, backpedalling at the back post, prevented the defender's header from finding the back of the net.
The Brewers continued to look the more purposeful and probing and Deji Oshilaja won a corner that resulted in Brayford acrobatically firing towards goal only to see it blocked on the edge of the six yard box by Chey Dunkley as chances continued to come.
Half time: Shrewsbury Town 1-0 Burton Albion
Smith immediately made a positive start after the break getting into the box and forcing an awkward save from Marosi and the home keeper produced an even better save on 51 minutes to deny Oshilaja at the back post although the Shrewsbury keeper required treatement after falling awkwardly making the save low to his right. It looked as though Marosi might not be able to continue but after about four minutes of treatment he was able to continue.
The home keeper, howeverm was picking the ball out of the net just minutes later when Oshilaja got played in down the right and pulled the ball back for ADEBOYEJO to bundle it home from close range.
And the summer signing from Barnsley was not far away from a second goal on 64 minutes when referee Thomas Kirk played advantage as Powell seemed to be fouled and the striker whipped a low shot just wide of goal.
But the home side were back in front on 66 minutes from a rare attack. Shrewsbury found space on the right to get Jordan Shipley in and his low cross was tapped in by BOWMAN.
Albion turned to Mustapha Carayol from the bench with a quarter of an hour to go as Keillor-Dunn made way and Sam Winnall was also thrown on with just under ten minutes remaining in search of a second equaliser.
The two substitutes combined well on 87 minutes with Carayol's cross finding Winnall but his low effort could not quite beat Marosi.
Luke Leahy almost sealed things for the home side with two minutes to go with a raking drive from 25 yards that finished just wide of the post.
Albion got great encouragement when the added time board went up showing thirteen minutes, largely due to the injury to the keeper earlier in the half.
Adeboyejo wasinches away from connecting with a drilled cross from Oshilaja six minutes into the added on time. Powell had a chance from a set piece when Adeboyejo was sent tumbling but the Shrewsbury wall did enough to clear and a late corner was scrambled away with Garratt up trying to salvage something.
A valiant effort from Albion who deserved more for their efforts but back to back home games coming up offer a chance to get back on track quickly.
ALBION: Garratt; Hamer, Hughes, Brayford, Borthwick-Jackson; Taylor (Onyango, 90), Oshilaja, Powell, Smith (Winnall, 82), Adeboyejo, Keillor-Dunn (Carayol, 74).
Substitutes: Kean, Thorpe, Lakin, Hewlett.
GOALS: SHREWSBURY - Saydee (13), Bowman (66) ; ALBION - Adeboyejo (57)
Referee: Thomas Kirk
Attendance: 5,667 (385 away)