This Week's Opposition: Burton Albion

A goalless draw at Bloomfield Road on Saturday means John Moushino’s side have had their gap at the top of League One cut to 5 points.

This now means the Blues have not conceded a goal away from home since the 2-2 draw with Oxford United back in January.

Heading back down South to Fratton Park, we take on relegation-threatened Burton Albion under the floodlights.

Let's take a closer look at them now…

MANAGER

Former professional footballer Martin Paterson is at the helm of The Brewers.

Beginning his career with Stoke City, the forward also played for Scunthorpe United, Burnley, Huddersfield Town, Orlando City, Blackpool, Port Vale, Tampa Bay Rowdies and ATK, with loan spells also at Grimsby, Bristol City, Fleetwood Town and Orlando City.

Throughout his 14-year playing career, Paterson scored 78 goals in 339 league and cup appearances. He also won 32 caps for Northern Ireland in a 7-year international spell spanning from 2007 to 2014, during such time he bagged 3 international goals.

Paterson was an assistant coach for 7 months in the United States of America for several different clubs and when he returned to England, he worked alongside Michael Duff as an assistant at Barnsley. He joined Duff at Swansea City in June 2023, working as an assistant head coach alongside Alan Sheehan.

On the 11th of January 2024, Paterson was appointed head coach of Burton Albion.

ONE TO WATCH

Our one to watch on this occasion is Crystal Palace loanee Ademola Ola-Adebomi.

Ola Adebomi joined Crystal Palace as a youngster and progressed through the academy before signing his first professional contract with the club in April 2022.

He played for the club in the EFL Trophy that season and scored 12 goals in 21 games for the Crystal Palace Under-21s side.

The 20-year-old joined Burton on a six-month loan deal in the January transfer window and made his debut off the bench in a goalless draw away at Cambridge United.

Ola-Adebomi wears the number 20 shirt for The Brewers.

TOP SCORER

Burton’s number 7, Joe Powell is the club’s current top goalscorer this season.

Joining West Ham United at the age of eight, Powell signed his first professional contract with The Hammers in January 2015 and signed a renewed 3-year deal in May the following year.

Powell joined Northampton Town on loan before signing for Burton in January 2020 on a 2-and-a-half-year deal. The Midfielder agreed to a new 2-year contract in July 2022.

The 2020/21 season saw Powell win the Goal of the Season award with a  35-yard strike against Portsmouth.

Powell has scored 4 goals so far this campaign.

CURRENT FORM

Paterson’s side currently sit 20th in the table, just above the relegation zone with a 5 point cushion to Cheltenham Town in 21st.

Burton have accumulated 39 points from 36 games with their last 5 producing 1 victory, 1 draw and 3 defeats - Their most recent loss was 3-1 against promotion chasing Peterborough United.

In the reverse of this fixture at the Pirelli Stadium, the Blues came out on top with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Colby Bishop and Alex Robertson. The game ended with a 10 man Burton side after former Blues defender Steve Seddon was given a 2nd yellow in the 90th minute for a foul on Abu Kamara.

Can the Blues secure 3 points under the floodlights and reach the 80 point mark by mid March?

Express FM will have you covered with all of the action from this League One fixture from 7pm on Tuesday (March 12th) evening with Robbie James, Jake Smith and James Wilson reporting LIVE from Fratton Park.

Kick-off: 7:45pm!