ALBION had to settle for a point as they were held to a goalless draw by old foes Accrington Stanley at the Pirelli Stadium.
On a cold and blustery afternoon flowing football was always going to be tough and although Albion dominated long periods they could not find a way through a resilient Stanley defence who battled hard for their point.
With Sam Winnall and Chris McCann both missing through injury there were starts for Gassan Ahadme and Bobby Kamwa in the forward positions as Joe Powell continued his run in the side and dropped deeper into midfield alongside Deji Oshilaja. Zac Ashworth was also rested with Tom Hamer switching to the left, John Brayford moving the right wing-back facilitating a first start in Albion colours for Sam Lavelle, the Charlton midfielder having made his only appearance so far as a substitute against Portsmouth. With the injury list easing somewhat, both Mark Helm and Jonny Smith returned to the substitutes bench.
An early long throw from Hammer caused some uncertainty inside the Accrington box as a couple of flick-ons spelled danger but keeper Lukas Jensen eventually gathered the ball in with Ahadme sniffing for any chance of the loose ball.
Taylor then picked the pocket of Seb Quirk as the young midfielder dwelt on the ball and was able to charge up to the edge of the Stanley penalty areas before being crowded out before he could get a shot away or find a team mate.
Ahadme had a golden chance on eleven minutes when Jensen came for an angled cross by Jasper Moon and dropped the ball but the popular striker sliced his shot wide after an initial touch created the opening.
Oshilaja battled well on the right hand side to deliver a cross from a tight angle on the quarter of an hour mark but under pressure in the middle, Kamwa could not quite get his effort on target.
Joe Powell’s free kick into the box on 22 minutes again looked to unsettle visitors back line and when Sam Hughes got his head to it first the ball sat up nicely for Brayford to try a volleyed shot that was too high and flew over the bar.
Accrington enjoyed a spell of pressure around the half hour mark, winning the first corner of the game in the process and a speculative cross from Mitch Clark deflected off Powell causing problems for Craig MacGillivray but fortunately landing on the roof of the Burton net.
Kamwa’s long range shot on the turn won Albion their first corner of the game on 39 minutes but the visitors did just enough to see off the danger from Powell’s delivery as the game continued goalless.
Half time: Burton Albion 0-0 Accrington Stanley
The second half started as the first half had ended with neither side really able to dominate and it was Albion who made the first change on 56 minutes with Kama’s shift the afternoon done as he made way for Josh Walker.
Walker almost made an immediate impression with a smart intervention to set Albion going forwards in partnership with Oshilaja but Jensen was able to sweep up when the cross finally came in from the left.
Albion went even closer to the opening goal when Clark helped on Oshilaja’s header inside the box but was saved by Sean McConville’s goal line clearance.
Ahadme then had a chance inside the box but when the ball came to him his shot on the turn was agonisingly wide of the upright.
Albion turned to Charlie Kirk in search of a breakthrough as the hard-working Taylor got a rest and the winger was soon streaking away down the left to try and create a chance but his cross was just too deep for all those trying to get in the box to support.
A late double change saw Smith and Helm thrown tin for Lavelle and Ahadme as Albion pushed for a winner and almost instantly a chance came Albion’s way, Oshilja’s cross headed wide by Walker at the near post.
Ultimately neither side could fashion a goal in a game that could best be described as attritional but with other results below going favourably for Albion enabled them to edge a point closer to safety.
ALBION: MacGillivray; Lavelle (Helm, 89), Hughes, Moon; Brayford, Oshilaja, Powell, Hamer; Taylor, (Kirk, 71) Ahadme (Smith, 89), Kamwa (Walker, 56).
Substitutes: Garratt, Shaughnessy, Carayol.
Referee: Josh Smith
Attendance: 2,578