In their first league fixture of the New Year Burton travelled to Walmley Road to play table-toppers and unbeaten Sutton Coldfield and although returning home with no points a superb effort from the whole Burton squad nearly did enough to end Sutton’s unbeaten tag but at least stopped their record of gaining a bonus point in every one of their fifteen games. Both in attack and defence Burton matched the opposition and had chances, that with a bit more luck or better judgement could have seen then win the game, but their performance showed that things in the Burton camp are on the up and supporters will see more victories than defeats in this second half of the season.

With Sutton having chosen to play with the slope and wind Dave Archer kicked-off and the Burton forwards led by Kev Birt, Spud Taylor and Craig Dutton tore into their opposite numbers to show that they were not here just for the ride and intended to end Sutton’s unbeaten run. But for the first twenty minutes of the match it was Sutton who piled on the pressure as both teams vied to gain control. The home side continually attacked the Burton line but a superb defensive effort by the Burton side denied them of any points. Ben Peach, Nathan Taylor, Dave Fitchett and Lewis Brooks were to the fore of this defence as strong tackles were put in time and again to keep the Burton line intact.

Eventually after Burton had soaked up this early pressure they started to get some possession of their own and the ball began to be moved up and down the pitch with both sides giving away penalties that nullified any ground gained. While Burton’s keenness may have been the cause of their penalties for being offside it was just pure flaunting of the laws that saw Sutton continually entering rucks and mauls from the sides. Unfortunately it was the Burton offences that created the first two scoring chances and the Sutton kicker made no mistake with two kicks to give his side a 6-0 lead after twenty-five minutes.

From the second restart Burton’s pack again raced into the opposition ranks and powerful runs by Fitchett, Matt Tivey and Josh Cartwright saw the forwards drive on towards the opposition line where the Sutton second row was again seen to drive into the side of the maul and was penalised. Burton opted to try and get on the score board so Archer took the kick at goal and the ball sailed over the bar to reduce the opposition lead to just three points at 6-3.

But as usual the restart was badly handled by Burton and as they strove to regain control the ball they were eventually penalised for offside and the opposition’s kick at goal sailed over the bar to take the score to 9-3. However, with the slope and wind in their favour in the second half everything appeared to be going the right way for Burton as the break approached. But then disaster struck when Burton conceded a crucial score of a converted try. A five-metre scrum to Sutton on the Burton line saw the opposite try to push Burton back over the line but a great counter surge by the Burton eight saw the ball squirt out of the side. The Sutton scrumhalf reacted faster than Burton’s defence and just managed to get the ball down for a try. The conversion attempt sailed over the bar and so instead of being down by a six points deficit Burton were now facing one of thirteen points to over-come to get a result.

With Sutton kicking-off to get the second half underway Burton knew what they had to do to get a win, but with the wind and slope now to their advantage they couldn’t have got a worse start as within four minutes Sutton extended their lead to 23-3 thanks to them being gifted another converted try. A lineout just in the Burton half was won at the back by Fitchett and Burton attempted to move the ball out wide, but Luke Peach’s pass to Brooks was way behind him and the Sutton centre pounced to gather and race towards the Burton line. Brooks recovered to sprint back and tackle his man inside the Burton twenty-two. The Sutton support was quicker to the breakdown and the ball was spun out to their fullback who touched down for the kicker to add the extra points.

Burton now had it all to do and stormed up field with a series of rolling mauls and just two minutes later they reduced the lead when a penalty for entering the maul from the side saw Archer put a successful kick straight between the uprights to take the score to 23-6 with twenty-five minutes to play.

Great control of the restart by the Burton pack sees Dutton, Birt and Cartwright working the ball out wide where Lewis Brooks races in to touchdown and Archer added the extra two points to narrow Sutton’s lead to 23-13

With twenty minutes to go Sutton added a penalty goal to their score to take it to 26-13, but Burton were not finished yet and continued to press forward.

Burton kept up the pressure and with five minutes remaining Danny Smith breaks clear with just opposite number to beat and Lee English on outside in support, but Smith hesitated and is tackled. But massive drive from Burton pack sees Sutton desperately defending and Burton turn over ball and attack through forwards and backs for Danny Smith to score try in the corner to take score to 26-18. With just minutes remaining Burton are on top but were kept at bay as Sutton conceded penalties at with some cynical defending

As the final whistle sounded for the end of the game Sutton left the field with their unbeaten record intact but knowing that a superb effort from the Burton team, for the first time this season, had stopped them from getting a bonus point in this game and that possibly with a better choice of options they could well have lost the unbeaten tag as well.