League 1: Easter Bank Holiday Weekend Review. Incorporating: Burton Albion v. Birmingham City
Monday 21st April 2025. EFL League 1. Burton Albion (0) 1 (Fabio Tavares 90+4) v Birmingham City (2) 2 (Alfons Sampstead 45, Jay Stansfield 45+3). Attendance: 4,928
Burton Albion: Max Crocombe, Udoka Godwin-Malifé see (Finn Delap 71), Owen Dodgson, Ryan Sweeney (captain), Jack Armer, Rumarn Burrell (Mason Bennett 84), Dylan Williams, Julian Larsson (Fábio Tavares 77), JJ McKiernan (Jón Dadi Bödvarsson 77), Kegs Chauke (Anthony Forde 77) , Kyran Lofthouse. Unused subs - Harry Isted, Tomas Kalinauskas.
Birmingham City: Ryan Allsop, Alfons Sampsted (Ethan Laird 77), Christoph Klarer (captain), Grant Hanley, Alex Cochrane, Tomoki Iwata, Marc Leonard (Paik Seung-Ho 66), Taylor Gardner-Hickman (Keshi Anderson 66), Willum Willumsson, Kieran Dowell (Luke Harris 90), Jay Stansfield (Alfie May 66). Unused subs - Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Ben Davies.
Today’s game was only the sixth ever league fixture to have been played between Burton Albion and Birmingham City. Previously the Brewers had won three of those games, while Blues have won once (2-0 on Boxing Day earlier this season) and the other meeting between these two sides ended in a draw.
The train booking information for this trip came with the attached warning that there might be some of those beastly creatures on board that travel by railway to watch football matches. I was actually more concerned that, with this being a Bank Holiday n’all that, it might be full of people who don't. In the event there were fans of numerous teams (and neutrals) in transit and the ambience was very good natured without the slightest hint of any animosity.
Bank Holiday Weekend, Part 1: Friday. Having already been confirmed as League 1 Champions, Blues lost the EFL (Vertu) Trophy Final against Peterborough United at Wembley Stadium last weekend. Subsequently, they were held to a 0-0 draw against 23rd placed Crawley Town at St. Andrew's on Friday afternoon. Regardless of the ‘unexpected’ nature of that result, it was Chris Davies’ side’s eighth unbeaten league game in a row.
On the same afternoon (at Exeter City), Burton also drew 0-0 and the point that they gained from that game, kept them just one place above the bottom four relegation positions, on goal-difference alone. The team one place below them, (but level on points with Albion) is Bristol Rovers, who drew their Good Friday fixture 1-1 against promotion chasing Wrexham.
Subsequently that result saw the Welsh side drop from out of the top-two automatic promotion spots, where they were replaced by Wycombe Wanderers, who’d won 0-2 at Bolton Wanderers. That's the jist of the “Thigh bone’s connected to the knee bone” introductory stuff, pertaining to the salient points from Friday’s first round of the Easter Bank Holiday League 1 extravaganza.
Bank Holiday Weekend, Part 2: Monday. Blues have amassed 99 points so far this season, with what was their 30th League 1 win of the season at the Pirelli Stadium. Despite falling to a narrow 1-2 defeat, the Brewers remain just outside the relegation spots, because Bristol Rovers lost at home against Stevenage.
Inevitably there were even more twists, turns, and stand-out results today too. Not least at Adams Park, where Nathan Jones' Charlton Athletic thrashed Wycombe 0-4. A result that meant Wrexham’s 1-2 win at Blackpool saw Phil Parkinson's Red Dragons reclaim the second automatic promotion spot in the table, two points ahead of Wycombe and four ahead of third placed Charlton, who visit the Racecourse Ground this coming weekend.
Another pivotal game next weekend is Burton Albion’s home game against Cambridge United. Cambridge are five points away from safety (AKA Burton's current position) with just two games remaining. Peterborough United and Northampton Town secured League 1 football for next season today, while Crawley Town are still hanging onto their third tier status by the skin of their teeth, three points behind Burton (who have a game in hand) by beating Exeter City.
Shrewsbury Town meanwhile are already down and Mansfield Town (after being third in the table at one point earlier in the season) still need a point from their final remaining three games to avoid being dragged into the drop zone, although mathematically only Burton or Bristol Rovers can catch them now. The Stags final three games are: Birmingham away, then Peterborough United and Exeter City at home.
Today's game. Blues started the game as they intended to carry on, dominating the early exchanges with their tried, tested and trusted, passing and possession blueprint. While Burton’s more urgent approach, reflected their greater need to take something out of the game, with their League 1 survival at stake.Jay Stansfield glanced a headed chance wide of the target in the tenth minute. Ryan Allsop was forced into making the first save of the game, when Grant Hanley almost deflected Rumarn Burrell’s right wing cross into his own net.
Albion seemed to be adhering to a plan, whereby whenever they got the ball in Blues half they should give it to Burrell to let him run at the visitors defence. He was proving to be a proper handful, but for the most part, Birmingham’s defence demonstrated why they have conceded the fewest goals of any team in the division this term. As it happens, despite their apparent frugal approach to playing all out attacking gung-ho football, they’re also the top scorers too.
Marc Leonard tested the Brewers keeper, Max Crocombe, from long distance, but didn't get enough power behind his shot and it was comfortably saved. Owen Dodgson was finding space on the left-wing to get forward but his crosses into the Blues area were dealt with routinely by Allsop. With half-time approaching, the visitors upped the ante and Kyran Lofthouse did well to block Taylor Gardner-Hickman’s acrobatic shot from Stansfield's cross.
Two goals inside three minutes as the first-half went into stoppage time, put Blues in control, the first when the hosts failed to clear a corner and allowed Alfons Sampstead to open the scoring with a well struck effort from the edge of the area… and the second when Udoka Godwin-Malifé blocked Kieran Dowell’s shot, but could only divert the ball into the path of Stansfield who picked his spot and drilled his shot past Lofthouse. “The buggers have just been toying with us!”, exclaimed the Brewers fan sat behind me.
The second-half had an aura of ‘game-over’ about it. Albion kept trying to get in amongst Blues rearguard with the lively Burrell, while Dodgson provided even more crosses into the area, which were dealt effectively with by Birmingham’s backline, while Allsop continued to treat the afternoon as a cross catching practice training-session.
Blues were dictating the pace now and had effectively slowed down the tempo of the game as they played the clock down. Although Chris Davies did freshen up the visitors attack with a triple substitution in the 66th minute. Just in case the need arose to up the intensity again. With fifteen minutes remaining Gary Bowyer also made three changes, including one Fábio Tavares… and shortly afterwards Mason Bennett replaced Burrell, which was probably just to rest the number 18, before the weekend’s visit of Cambridge United.
Tavares did score deep into injury time, latching on to Lofthouse’s knock forward with aplomb, to half the deficit, but it was too late for Burton to salvage anything from this game. I was amused on the walk back to station, to hear the usual all too familiar remarks: “They didn't look like anything special for all the money that they’ve spent!” 🥱 “That was boring, they weren't any better than us!” 🥱 “They just pass it around and hardly ever get forward!” 🥱 “We played as well as them!” 🥱 “They bought the league!” 🥱🥱🥱
Thirteen points clear at the top of the table with two games in hand. Most goals scored. Least goals conceded. It's not always aesthetically easy on the eye, but tactically Blues have harnessed a winning formula, that opposition teams and supporters alike, are struggling to comprehend or overcome. That isn't their problem.
A Burton fan on the train home, was saying something about Blues having an unfair advantage over the rest of League 1 this season. I politely reminded him that it wasn't so long ago, that as a non-league club, Albion had applied to swap between divisions because it would give them a better chance of being promoted up through the Football Pyramid. Their application was accepted and: Hey Presto! Promotion was ‘achieved’ too. Bloomin' football clubs taking advantage, eh!? I genuinely meant it when I told him that I hope the Brewers (and Mansfield Town, of course) avoid relegation this term.
Haters are always going to hate. But after a decade of under-achieving. After being relegated to the Third Division. After Wayne fookin' Rooney 😳 After having to play home games in a limited capacity ground that was falling to bits. After all the points deductions, and history of unfit club owners. After spending time being targetted amongst the EFL’s whipping boys (and taking it all on the chin). And after having to sell their best (home-grown) talent to merely survive and make ends meet, a change in fortunes is long overdue at St. Andrew's. Just saying.
Next up: I’m at Stevenage on Thursday night, Wrexham on Saturday evening and Birmingham on Sunday afternoon. Wherever you are going, enjoy your football 😁