JOSH Walker’s first Pirelli Stadium goal earned Albion a point from a gritty 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers
Chasing the game in the second half after former Brewers striker Victor Adeboyejo had netted an early opener for his new club, Albion has to plug away and were rewarded when Walker found the net after seeing his initial effort saved.
Looking for another win to strengthen their place in the division Albion showed two changes to the side that won on Saturday. Charlie Kirk and Jonny Smith both returned in the wide attacking areas as Conor Shaughnessy and Mustapha Carayol sat this one out on the bench.
Albion started briskly and Zac Ashworth was in a shooting position within the first fifteen seconds but could not find the target with a swing of his left foot.
Having made all of the early running it was a blow when Wanderers went ahead with their first venture into Albion territory. Aaron Morley burst forward with intent and sent in a speculative shot that took a crucial deflection off the heel of ADEBOYEJO to wrong foot Craig MacGillivray and roll, almost apologetically, into the goal.
A slip by Jasper Moon allowed Adeboyejo to nick possession high up the pitch and feed strike partner Dion Charles. The Irish international saw his effort blocked before falling his skipper, Gethin Jones, who forced a good save from MacGillivray at his near post.
The game began to look a lot more even and Smith forced a save from James Trafford in the Bolton goal on nineteen minutes with a trademark left foot curler and was too central to seriously trouble the keeper.
After Albion had won their first corner on 25 minutes Bolton quickly switched play towards the other end and Charles was on the edge of the box to test MacGillvray with a low strike that the Brewers stopper pushed around the post. A flurry of corners had Albion under a sustained spell of pressure inside their own box but some stoic defending kept the Trotters out.
Smith almost conjured up an equaliser just after the half hour with a wickedly curling cross that George Johnston tried to hack away, succeeding only in forcing a save from Trafford to push the ball around the post at full stretch.
Albion almost grabbed the perfect end to the first half when Helm’s booming ball into the box picked out Taylor but stretching, his header dropped agonisingly wide.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-1 Bolton Wanderers
Albion should have been level five minutes after the break when Kirk found himself through on goal but Trafford stood tall to make a vital block as the winger looked to slide the ball to the keeper’s left.
The search for an equaliser led to Walker’s introduction on 58 minutes as Smith left the field, wincing as he went. And the change produced an immediate impact as the January signing bagged his second Brewers goal, netting at the second attempt after Trafford had saved well from Mark Helm and Walker’s first effort.
Morley and Kyle Dempsey both sent efforts whistling over the bar as the visitors looked to regain their lead.
Albion turned to Carayol to try and inspire a winner with Kirk making way but it was Bolton threatening to grab the initiative back as MacGillivray denied Charles at close range and then George Thomason contrived to put the ball over the bar from a yard out.
There was further escape after Bolton changed their strikers. Dan Nludulu found Conor Bradley who was denied by Zac Ashowrth on the line before the ball fell kindly for Cameron Jerome who could only find the side betting.
Shaughnessy was sent on for a tiring Helm inside the last ten minutes as Bolton upped the ante and pressed hard for a winner.
Bolton could not keep it going to the final whistle and in the end it was a hard earned point that edged Albion closer to that League One safety mark.
ALBION: MacGillivray; Brayford, Hughes, Moon, Ashworth; Oshilaja, Powell, Helm (Shaughnessy, 82); Smith (Walker, 58), D.Taylor, Kirk (Carayol, 71).
Substitutes: Garratt, Winnall, Ahadme, Gilligan.
GOALS: ALBION - Walker (59) ; BOLTON - Adeboyejo (5)
Referee: Andrew Kitchen
Attendance: 3,328