Minutes for young Brewers but Trophy tie is no spectacle as Spireites take points

BURTON Albion lost 1-0 away against Chesterfield in their Vertu EFL Trophy group game, leaving their chances of qualification for the knockout stages in the balance.

- By COLSTON CRAWFORD

It was a game every bit as lacklustre as, sadly, we have come to expect from this competition, for all that it allowed the Brewers to have a look at a number of their academy prospects.

Gary Bowyer rang the changes as usual for the Trophy. Not restricted by the squad that had to be submitted to the EFL at the start of the season, he was able to name Nick Akoto and Ciaran Gilligan in the side, while teenager Sulyman Krubally was given a start and Kieran Lofthouse captained the side, playing on the right of the back three.

Chesterfield named a side laced with experience, including former Brewers Kyle McFadzean and Tom Naylor, who captained them. They also fielded the vastly experienced former Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck.

There were some neat early touches for Krubally, who looked comfortable on the ball, and the Brewers, with more possession in the early stages, tried several times, without success, to send Akoto running at Chesterfield on the right.

Finn Delap, especially, could not get his range right with a couple of attempted sweeping balls.

It was the 12th minute before the Spireites managed an attack, which broke down after a number of neat passes.

In the 17th minute, Krubally nutmegged Fleck and did not get away with it, being planted on his backside by the veteran.