Quality Prevails: Burton Albion 0-1 Imps

The Imps gained the revenge they didn’t know they needed last night, defeating Burton Albion 1-0 in the EFL Cup.

Earlier this year, a team consisting of Jon Leonard and I went out of the TalkSPORT Cup to Burton. On a warm night at the Pirelli, City managed to get a modicum of revenge, and in the process progressed to the third round of the League Cup. It’s the fourth time in six seasons we’ve reached the third round, having only done it three times in the previous 45 years.

The team selection was fascinating for a game that hardly got the pulses racing. With West Ham, Leeds United and Manchester United in the hat, a trip to Burton was not exactly the glorious tie we’d hoped for, but it did look winnable. They made nine changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Stockport at the weekend, and we made six.

Sonny Bradley was the main absentee, rested ahead of Mansfield this weekend. Ivan Varfolomeev and Frankie Okoronkwo both got a start, while Zane Okoro also entered the starting XI. Erik Ring and Rob Street also returned to the side as City hunted an elusive home draw – we’ve only had four in the competition since 2010, stretching back 20 matches. In fairness, three of those home ties were Everton, West Ham and Liverpool, but still…

It was not a game that ever looked like being a classic, not with Burton the opponent. That’s no slur on Burton, but games against them are rarely classic – aside from a couple of 3-2 wins which have bucked the trend of lethargic 1-0 defeats in swirling wind and miserable weather.

Of course, it was a warm summer setting, and with both managers rotating heavily, the tempo in the early exchanges reflected that. Burton’s Julian Larsson found his way into the book inside ten minutes for a foul on Zane Okoro, while City offered the brighter moments going forward.

Neither side really looked like scoring in the first half, although Erik Ring’s teasing delivery narrowly evaded its target, and Okoro had a shot deflected behind by Jack Newall. Rob Street twice threatened with headers, while Adam Jackson saw an effort saved by Kamil Dudek after a scramble from a corner. While it sounds like we laid siege, we really didn’t, and they were half chances at best.

For the opponents, Charlie Webster stood out a mile. Looking like a modern-day Zack de la Rocha, he swanned around the middle of the park with the air and grace of a Premier League youngster, and if he carries on like that he won’t be wearing the yellow and black of Burton for very long at all. Class.

It’s probably no surprise that the highlights on the official club channels start in the second half. It wasn’t bad as such, it was just tepid. I was impressed with Okoro; he felt lively and eager to take players on, but he didn’t get a lot of joy. He’s certainly filling out his frame and looked quite imposing – one to watch (as we know) for the future.

Ryley Towler impressed me as well. The summer recruit has caught my eye over the opening fixtures for a number of reasons. He’s been out of position, but has comfortably adjusted and while he’s clearly not a left back, he hasn’t been bad at all. Last night, he seemed to have a certain panache to his play, a composure not always seen in a central defender. I never felt worried by Burton, and much of that was due to his (and the other defenders’) application. When we needed a block, he was there. He wasn’t the only one, obviously, but he did stand out.

Of course, all eyes were on Ivan Varfolomeev, and his debut was steady. Given the language barrier, and the fact he’s been training for only a few days, he didn’t do badly at all. He worked hard, played things simple and eventually picked up a booking which I can imagine will be a part of his game. He’s not a player to be heavily involved with goals and assists, so what we saw last night was a glimpse of the engine he has, and the engine we believe will eventually make us a lot of money.

Or take us to the Championship. Either or, I guess.

Frankie Okoronkwo also caught the eye. He didn’t get a lot of joy in the first half, but his work rate was tremendous. Given that he has been brought in to add depth, he needed a statement performance, and while the first half he was one of a handful you could say worked hard, he did emerge a little later in the game as a key figure. We haven’t been that lucky with attacking loans since Rogers and Johnson (Joe Taylor aside), but perhaps in Okoronkwo we have a player we could grow attached to.

I think the first half is perhaps summed up best by my Dad. As regular readers know, he is at home on end of life care. I’m watching games with him at present, and about halfway through the first period, I could see him shaking his head. “Not entertaining Dad?” I asked. “This is all I need,” he replied. He’s got brain cancer, lung cancer, chest infection and type one diabetes, but it felt like a 0-0 draw from Burton might tip him over the edge.

Still, at half time, we were still in it. Now all we had was a second half to get through, and given the second periods against Wimbledon (with ten men), Northampton and Bolton, I did fear a little.