DYLAN Scott’s first senior goal was not quite enough to see Albion through in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy as Blackpool sealed a 2-1 victory at Bloomfield Road.
Scott, on as a second half substitute, grabbed his first goal in first team colours to get Albion back into the game after Blackpool had taken a two-goal lead thanks to an early strike from Matty Virtue and a second half goal from Marvin Ekpiteta, not long before Scott struck.
It was hard luck for Albion who battled hard in the second half and only two late saves from Richard O’Donnell prevented the Brewers from grabbing an equaliser and taking the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Gary Mills made two changes from Saturday’s side with John Brayford and Bobby Kamwa dropping out of the starting eleven. Brayford was named on the bench, replaced by Jake Caprice in the side whilst Kamwa was replaced by Rekeem Harper, signalling a slight switch to the team shape.
After what seemed to be a positive start, Albion found themselves behind after just four minutes. Deji Oshilaja was hustled off the ball in midfield and Sonny Carey was able to play Kyle Joseph in down the left, the striker passing up the chance to shoot in order to lay the ball into the path of VIRTUE for a precise finish into the bottom corner.
Albion set about the task of searching for an equaliser and a presentable chance fell to Mason Bennett on thirteen minutes when Sam Hughes was able to steer Caprice’s cross into his path on the edge of the box.
Blackpool had the ball in the back of the Albion net for a second time, midway through the half but Owen Dale’s through ball found Andy Lyons having gone too soon down the right prompting the assistant to rule out Kyle Joseph’s finish for an offside.
Similarly, Albion had the ball in the Blackpool net when Oshilaja headed home a cross from Caprice but was adjudged to have fouled Doug Tharme at the back post.
Steve Seddon also nodded home after Ryan Sweeney’s headed had come back off the crossbar from a Powell corner but the assistant again flagged for offside.
Sam Hughes picked up a knock and was unable to carry on with skipper Brayford thrust back into action earlier than, perhaps had been intended.
Sonny Carey was close to doubling Blackpool’s lead just before half time but an excellent block from Jasper Moon denied him as the home side opened up the Burton defence.
Bez Lubala was denied by the legs of keeper Richard O’Donnell as the game entered added time at the end of the first half, capitalising on a poor defensive header from Dom Thompson.
HALF TIME: BLACKPOOL 1-0 BURTON ALBION
Harper was able to burst forwards in the early stages of the second half, doing well to keep Seddon’s through ball in play and he was inches away from picking out Oshilaja in the middle of the box as Blackpool scrambled the ball away to safety.
Dylan Scott was thrust into the action with half an hour to play, in place of Bennett, with Albion pushing for an equaliser.
Blackpool made a triple change and Shane Lavery almost made an instant impact as the home side countered on Albion forcing a good save from Crocombe. The relief was short lived as EKPITETA pounced from the resulting corner to scramble the ball home.
SCOTT pounced to put Albion back into the contest with twenty minutes left combining with Lubala and when the latter’s shot was half blocked it fell nicely for the Academy youngster to sweep home from 15 yards.
Albion made a triple change inside the final ten minutes with Will Tamen, Mustapha Carayol and Kegs Chauke replacing Moon, Harper and Lubala.
The Brewers were inches away from an equaliser on 86 minutes when Carayol found Oshilaja and the midfielder skpped round a defender before being denied by the fingertips of O’Donnell.
Owen Dale almost put the game to bed with an neat chip that clipped the crossbar.
Carayol forced O’Donnell into a good block as the game entered five minutes of added time with Albion realling pushing for a leveller looking to take the game to penalties.
Despite piling on the pressure the home side held on for the win to knock Albion out of this season’s competition.
ALBION: Crocombe; Hughes (Brayford, 39), Sweeney, Moon (Tamen, 81); Caprice, Harper (Carayol, 82), Powell, Oshilaja, Seddon; Bennett (Scott, 61), Lubala (Chauke, 82).
Substitutes: Blackman, Gilligan.
GOALS: BLACKPOOL – Virtue (4), Ekpiteta (67) ; ALBION - Scott (71)
Referee: Peter Wright
Attendance: 1,534