THE Brewers continued their preparations for the new League One season with a 4-1 win away at Alfreton Town.
In what was a good workout for Dino Maamria’s men, Kegs Chauke fired in the opener on sixteen minutes, his effort cancelled out two minutes later when Jake Day stroked home a penalty.
Fellow new signing Josh Gordon bagged his first goal in Burton colours netting the rebound from a Josh Walker shot before Walker added a third on the hour mark. Second half substitute Mustapha Carayol rounded things off with a composed finished in the dying minutes.
Albion started briskly and switching the ball quickly to Bobby Kamwa on the right the former Leeds man was able to whip in a dangerous cross that just eluded Chauke bursting into the box on seven minutes.
The deadlock was broken just after the quarter of an hour mark when Trialist A got away down the left and fired in a low cross that was well controlled by Walker. His shot was blocked but came out to CHAUKE who drove a rising shot into the Alfreton net.
The lead lasted a couple of minutes before Trialist B brought down Lewis Salmon giving DAY the chance to score from the penalty spot.
Albion went back in front on 26 minutes, Walker did well working his way across the edge of the box before driving in a low shot that keeper George Willis could only push away from goal, GORDON pouncing to gather in the loose ball and slot home.
Half time: Alfreton Town 1-2 Burton Albion
Three changes were made for the start of the second half with Max Crocombe taking over in goal and Carayol and Mark Helm replacing Kamwa and Mason Bennett.
Carayol looked lively on the left hand side getting into some promising positions and seeing a couple of shots blocked at the near post.
The experienced winger had a hand in Albion’s third when he raced away down the left having been played in by WALKER and crossed for the former Dagenham man to score at the second attempt at the back post.
Joe Powell, Cole Stockton and Finn Delap were introduced for Rekeem Harper, Walker and John Brayford immediately after the goal.
The final twenty minutes saw Charlie Lakin replace Gordon whilst Trialist C replaced Trialist A and Trialist D replaced Sam Hughes in the middle of the defence.
Stockton did well to turn inside the centre circle on 73 minutes before audaciously attempting to lob the keeper from distance. The striker has previous for scoring from that sort of range but this time his effort was just over the bar. The summer signing also saw a chance saved by keeper Jason Askew when he stretched to hook Lakin’s cross towards goal.
CARAYOL capped a lively second half display with the fourth goal with a couple of minutes left, Stockton and Helm combining well to set the winger free into the area for a composed finish from a tight angle.
ALBION: Blackman (Crocombe, 46); Brayford (Delap, 62), Hughes (Trialist D, 70), Trialist B (Gilligan, 75); Kamwa (Carayol, 46), Harper (Powell, 62), Chauke, Trialist A (Trialist C, 70); Gordon (Lakin, 70), Bennett (Helm, 46), Walker (Stockton, 62).
GOALS: ALFRETON – (Day 18 pen) ; ALBION – Chauke (16), Gordon (26), Walker (60), Carayol (88)
Attendance - 338