Burton Albion reserves (1) 3-0 (0)
1-0 Ferdi Elmas (44)
2-0 Nick Van Eijsden (63)
3-0 Russell Penn (83)
Pirelli Stadium,
Saul Deeney [6] - GK (captain) - Made a couple of good saves - one diving full length to his right, the other a powerful shot hit straight at him. Bravely dived at the striker's feet to grab the ball and deny a goal. Had to rush out of his penalty area once to sweep up behind the defence. Had no chance with any of the goals. Juggled two early crosses but grabbed them cleanly at the second attempt. Handled the ball well after that.
Jason Beardsley [6] - RB - A solid performance defensively. Strong in the tackle and good in the air, but should have done better to prevent Elmas' run for the first goal. Didn't really get forward enough to support the attack and needs to improve the accuracy of his passing.
Dean Leacock [7] - CB(R) - Looked very comfortable and dominated at the back both aerially and in the tackle without having to break sweat. Didn't look fully match fit as he seemed uncomfortable when he had to break into a run and, indirectly, this led to the first goal when he joined the attack in the Brewers' half and attempted to beat a midfield player to a fifty-fifty ball and didn't get there first, leaving the Rams a man short at the back. Also conceded a dangerous free-kick just outside the penalty area D with his only foul of the game. Lasted just over an hour before he was substituted.
Mitch Hanson [6] - CB(L) - An inconsistent game. At times he looked very good, strong in the air and the tackle, and at other times he got caught out positionally and conceded free-kicks as a result, particularly against the quick and tricky Jimmy Phillips in the second half. Passed the ball well.
Mark Dudley [5] - LB - Had a very solid first half where he got the better of Marc Goodfellow but struggled second half to contain Phillips, who left him for dead on more than one occasion. Looks good in the air, but Phillips exposed him on the deck after the break. Didn't get forward to support the attack and gave the ball away a few times.
Alex Forde [5] - RM - Helped out defensively as you'd expect from a natural right-back and looked good in the tackle. Has some pace and got forward into some decent positions. Effective when he could pass and go but was reluctant to take on a defender. Passed the ball well, but crosses into the penalty area were poor.
Arnoud Mendy [5] - CM(R) - When he had the ball he looked promising with good passing ability and desire to get forward. Burst into the penalty area in the first half and his ferocious shot forced Shane Redmond to pull off a brilliant save. Unfortunately he didn't have the ball anywhere near enough and the game passed him by for long periods. Looks much better with the ball than without it.
Ben Pringle [6] - CM(L) - Unlike Mendy, he was involved a lot and virtually everything
Jay McEveley [6] - LM - Played on the left wing and produced a solid display. Like Forde, he was good defensively, very strong in the air and in the challenge on the deck. Generally kept his passing simple and accurate but conceded possession once with an outrageous attempt at a back heel when an easy pass was available to him. Looked awkward going forward but did take on Richard Jackson with some measure of success, although his crossing into the penalty area was poor. Took one free-kick but was high, wide and handsome with it. Always talking, always encouraging the young kids.
Aaron Dillon [7] - SC - I was impressed with Dillon who was lively, pacy, and always moving and looking for the ball. Probably had the Rams best chance when he rounded the goalkeeper at 0-0 only for Darren Stride to clear his shot off the line. Forced a first half save from
Paul Dickov [6] - SC - Played best with his back to goal, showing good control, first touch, and passing ability. Linked play well. Had an early snap shot which
Substitutes:
Jeff Hendrick [6] - SC (for Dickov) - The first time I'd seen him play and he looked very lively. Showed a nice touch and ability to link up play. Got into good positions but his finishing was below par. Hit one shot wide and another one over the bar. His header, after great work by Pringle, was easy for
Kallum Keane [5] - DC (for Leacock) - Unfortunately he got caught out within seconds of taking the field. Van Eijsden ran at him with pace and Keane slid in but missed the ball allowing the trialist to run clean through and score with ease. Recovered reasonably well after that, winning most of his headers but occasionally missing them. Won some tackles too but didn't look as comfortable on the deck.
Callum Ball [6] - LM (for McEveley) - A lively cameo performance towards the end of the game. Has good pace and a neat touch and runs in a very direct way. Twice cut inside and unleashed venomous shots - one went narrowly wide, the other could only be parried by a flying Redmond and Hendrick should have done better with the rebound.