A goalless draw against MK Dons to finish the League One campaign saw continue their strong finish to the season but ultimately relegated the visitors to League Two.
Albion showed all of their defensive resilience, which has been their hallmark in recent weeks to keep out an MK Dons side who knew that victory was the only thing that could guarantee their position in the division for another season. A man of the match performance from Albion keeper Craig MacGillivray combined with the woodwork kept out everything that MK could throw at them in a thrilling end to the season.
For the final game of the season Dino Maamria made four changes in order to bring back some established faces into the side. MacGillivray returned in goal in place of Jordan Amissah and Jasper Moon returned to a back three having missed the Cambridge game with an injury picked up at Plymouth. Tom Hamer also returned, just in time to make his 100th EFL start for the club having been sidelined with a hamstring problem in recent weeks. Mustapha Carayol also got the call for the last game of the season in a wide attacking role. Ben Radcliffe, after an impressive debut on Wednesday nighmstayed on the bench and was joined by another Academy graduate, Tom Hewlett.
All the pressure was on the visitors who were in need of a result to enhance their chances or staying in the division and on-loan midfielder, Paris Maghoma, brother of ex-Albion winger Jacques, had the first real effort in anger, driving to the edge of the box but seeing a speculative effort deflect wide for the first corner of the game.
Conor Grant also failed to find the target on nine minutes after more good work from Maghoma finding space to work in on the Dons right.
Jonathan Leko was next to look for the breakthrough, again played in by Maghoma and this time Craig MacGillivray was forced into a save, sticking out a leg to divert the shot away from danger. Both Sullay Kaikai and Lego again went close as the visitors continued to look positive and probing in attack in search of the opening goal.
Kaikai went closest yet on 29 minutes with a curling effort that had MacGillivray at full stretch to turn it over the bar. The resulting corner was also a moment of concern for the Brewers as the ball eluded the Albion keeper and ricocheted behind off Sam Hughes.
Josh McEachran picked up the first yellow card of the game for the visitors tripping Dale Taylor as he attempted to launch a swift counter attack on 32 minutes.
John Brayford had Albion’s first real chance on target in the 38th minute driving a fierce effort on target but straight at Jamie Cumming who held on gratefully.
Mark Helm also had a good sight of goal but found the waiting arms of Cumming when a slip in midfield from the Dons allowed Taylor to set the in-form midfielder through on goal.
MacGillivray was busier than he would have liked and had to punch away a curling effort from Dons striker Mo Eisa.
Half time: Burton Albion 1-0 MK Dons
Eisa turned and fired a low effort straight at MacGiilivray in the early moments of the second half before Carayol had Cumming at full stretch to keep out a low cross to the edge of the six yard box.
Albion turned to their bench early in the second half with Josh Walker injecting some fresh pace in attack in place of Taylor.
After a quiet spell MK Dons raised themselves for a fresh assault on the Brewers goal and again Maghoma did well to drive into the box but lacked the finish with a left foot effort that was high and wide just after the hour mark.
Albion also sent on Charlie Kirk for Hamer reverting to a four man defence for the remainder of the contest.
Lego had a great chance to put the visitors ahead with a quarter of an hour remaining but Zac Ashworth got back on the cover and made a vital block to keep the scores level.
MK summonsed Will Grigg from the bench hoping that the experienced Irish international could muster up a goal to salvage a result
But it was earlier substitute Dawson Devoy that was left with his head in his hands when his effort from the edge of the D came back out off the post.
Eisa had a chance with the clock ticking into added time with a free kick just outside the penalty area but he could not keep it on target. With five minutes added at the end of the game it was a frantic end to the game with Mk sending goalkeeper Jamie Cumming up for corners and numerous blocks inside the box from Albion, led by skipper John Brayford with yet more important interventions right to the final whistle.
When referee Seb Stockbridge blew for time it was mixed emotions for the two sides but Albion could reflect on a second half of the season where they escaped the clutches of the bottom four and finished a more than respectable fifteenth.
ALBION: MacGiilvray; Brayford, Hughes, Moon; Hamer (Kirk, 63), Powell, Helm, Ashworth, Carayol (Winnall, 80), Taylor (Walker, 52), Oshilaja.
Substitutes: Amissah, Gilligan, Hewlett, Radcliffe.
Referee: Seb Stockbridge
Attendance: 5,021