POOR START FOR ALBION BUT A HAPPY ENDING

Highs and lows in a season packed full of drama

- By COLSTON CRAWFORD

IT was only a week ago that I wrote that Burton Albion don’t do routine seasons.

That was a couple of days after League One safety had been confirmed with a game to spare.

As I said then, even given the many ups and downs of the last decade, the season just gone was extraordinary - new owners, 23 signings, two managers, an awful start, an overhaul of the playing squad and eventual recovery. It was all there and more.

Customarily at this time of year we pick out the highest and lowest moments of the campaign, ines that sent fans home either in despair or full of joy and hope.

Usually, they'd be sprinkled through the season but, inevitably, the lows were mostly in the first half this time and the highs in the second.

And here they are, low points first...

Burton 0 Blackpool 4, August 13

Fans were not too concerned when the new-look Brewers went down 3-2 at home to Lincoln City on the first day of the season.

It had been a spectacular end-to-end encounter, the first half especially, as both sides flew at each other and both had the lead before reaching the break at 2-2. Lincoln were a little fortunate to win, with Paudie O'Connor unpunished for climbing all over Ryan Sweeney to head the winner.

Three days later, the mood was different. The Brewers were poor as Blackpool cruised to a 4-0 win at the Pirelli Stadium in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

Sweeney was sent off after 11 minutes but the game had 0-0 written all over it until the Seasiders took a 69th-minute lead.

After that, they looked like scoring every time they went forward. Rabbits in headlights came to mind.

It was a first sign that things were going to take a while to gel.

Burton 1 Bristol Rovers 3, October 5

There was still no League win when Bristol Rovers came to the Pirelli in poor form themselves.