The sky provided the best of the entertainment as Burton finished off their league campaign at Walsall. Bright sunshine, a few snowflakes and a passing helicopter were welcome distractions for the many Burton supporters who had made the trip. Back in September Burton were fluent and every pass stuck in a 77-7 victory; eight months later it was a different story ending in a 9-0 defeat, against a bottom of the table side already consigned to relegation.
Walsall kicked a fair amount of their possession and Burton Full Back Nick Oxley made a couple of promising runs early on. A perfect line-out throw from James Davies to Jack Neal at the tail provided a platform for Lee English to break the line in the middle of the field and a penalty was awarded. Harry Titley kicked for the corner however Burton couldn’t make a profit from the driving line-out.
Some scrappy play from both sides followed by a long –touch kick from Walsall. Burton strayed offside in midfield ad Walsall took a three point lead.
The Burton and scrum was clearly the more powerful however they were penalised more than once.
Liam Hucknall made a powerful carry in midfield but a penalty was conceded at the breakdown. Loz Betty Ed Saunders made some good yards but continuity was lacking and penalties were being conceded as Walsall battled at every breakdown. Despite all of this Burton were the only side who looked likely to score a try. During a spell of pressure on the Walsall twenty two the Referee blew up and yellow-carded Hooker Davies for ‘repeat offences’.
Walsall were reduced to fourteen men for a tip-tackle. Dewi Williams and Betty linked well to take the ball to the Walsall twenty two but the hosts scrambled well to diffuse the situation. Debutant winger Levi Davis finally got his hands on the ball combining well with Williams but the attack was contained.
Walsall made a 40 metre break ended with a high tackle from Burton and followed by a ten metre sanction for an inappropriate comment. Walsall gladly extended their lead to 6-0 to end the half.
Titley produced a good touch-finder to get his side into their opponents half following the kick off. Tom Murphy and Matt Tivey made carries after Joe Gazzard had stolen a line-out but the attack faltered. Gazzard stole again and then made a break from back of a maul but was high-tackled metres five from the line. Sadly the lineout mal-functioned and one of the best chances for a score slipped away.
Adam Smith replaced Tivey at Prop. Chaz Bunting, filling in at Scrum Half in place of the injured Nicholls, mad a sniping run up the left wing but the ball was lost. Some loose play from both sides followed before Gazzard and Betty tested the defence. Each time Burton were penalised and taken back into their own half.
Williams made a turnover but as he broke a retreating colleague caused an accidental off-side. Ally Weedon replaced Lewis Sturgess on the flank. Burton were held in their twenty two for a short period before Gazzard and Davis made progress up the blind-side.
Burton made progress through individual carries but couldn’t string multiple phases together without conceding a penalty which Walsall would kick back and Burton would have to start again. Things looked more hopeful as Burton ponded the try line but they couldn’t get the ball over die to stout defence from the home side. Walsall cleared and Hucknall was yellow carded. The home side kicked the penalty and brought the game to a 9-0 result.
Nest week sees Burton travel to Burntwood to meet Lichfield at 3pm in Staffordshire Cup Final. Six straighter defeats haven’t been the ideal preparation for Burton, however it is a one-off game and they must give it everything they have.