MATCH THREAD " BURTON ALBION v CARDIFF CITY " MATCH THREAD

Burton Albion midfielder Matty Lund looking forward to a "very tough game" against Cardiff City on Saturday -


Burton Mail


Wednesday 2nd August 2017


Burton Albion midfielder Matty Lund reckons Saturday's Championship season-opener against Cardiff City will provide the Brewers with a tough test to start the season.

Lund also admitted that it was hard to see Albion's record-signing - and Lund's Northern Ireland team-mate - Liam Boyce suffer a serious injury in last weekend's defeat to Shrewsbury Town.

The 26-year-old has been in fine form for Albion since penning a two-year deal with Nigel Clough's team at the beginning of the summer, notching three goals in pre-season from a variety of positions.

Tasked with playing a variety of positions over the course of pre-season, Lund has operated at right-back, right-wing and the more familiar position of centre-midfield this summer.


Lund did well to neutralise the threat of Leicester City pair Ben Chilwell and Ahmed Musa in Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat of the Foxes - in which the Brewers rounded off their pre-season with a win that is sure to send Albion into Saturday's game in good spirits.

Together with Captain John Mousinho, the duo proved to be quite the double act, with good play from Lund giving Lucas Akins the opportunity to swing in an inch-perfect cross to Hope Akpan, who opened the scoring for the Brewers on Tuesday.

But the Northern Ireland international is under no illusions as to how tough the Championship is going to be this season - with that victory over the Foxes quickly put to one side.

It will be Lund's first taste of second-tier football following a relatively successful four-year spell with Rochdale before his Spotland departure this summer.

He knows it will be tough - with the more teams than ever battling for promotion to the promised Land of the Premier League - but is in the mood to prove those wrong who have already tipped Albion for relegation, just as they did last term.

"It'll be a very tough game," Lund said matter-of-factly at Wednesday morning's press conference.

"There’ll be no easy games, I can imagine.

"But we've just got to prove people wrong again, and show that we can beat the big teams.

"I think a lot of teams now are saying promotion's their aim.

"We've just got to keep pulling together and pick up the right results at the right times."

Lund also spared a thought for his colleague at club and international level, Boyce, but insisted that Albion have to work as a team and not just rely on one player to carry them.

"It's hard to see Boycey come back with that news, but listen, we’ve got to pull together as a team and show that not just one person's going to score us goals.

"It's (the impact) going to be throughout the team and obviously it's a big miss.

"Boycey’s a good lad, a good player and I'm just gutted for him really.

"But obviously we've got a big few games coming up and we've got to show that we're together as a team and if we do that, we'll be fine."

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Burton Albion are the bookies favourites to go down having lost their record signing for the season –

It’s true that losing Liam Boyce to a cruciate knee ligament injury is a massive blow. They’ve just spent £500,000 on a striker.

Sky Bet Odds:

Burton – 17/10

Draw – 21/10

Cardiff – 17/10

Burton Albion forward Lucas Akins hopes that another year in football under his belt can help both himself and the squad as the kick-off for the new season draws ever closer.


Akins, one of the few remaining Albion players to have been part of that rollercoaster ride from League Two in 2014 to the Championship just two years later, also reckons the element of surprise will have worn off on some clubs.

"I'm a year older, a year more of experience and hopefully I've learned a few more things that I can try to put into action," he said .

"For ourselves, the motivation needs to be there again, because it may not be new. There are new stadiums, but I know the boys thrive on playing in decent stadiums and in front of bigger crowds and stuff like that."

CARDIFF CITY TICKETS STILL ON SALE


Burton Albion FC

Friday 4th August 2017


TICKETS for the opening game of the Sky Bet Championship season against Cardiff City are still on sale.

Burton Albion take on Neil Warnock’s Cardiff at the Pirelli Stadium tomorrow (3PM kick off), and Albion fans are still able to buy tickets.

Tickets start from just £7.00 and can be purchased online, over the phone (01283 565938) or in person by visiting the club shop during opening hours.

Cardiff City supporters should be reminded that their away allocation has SOLD OUT, and that no tickets are available to travelling fans

All pre-purchased tickets can be collected from the club shop next door to the main reception on non matchdays and on matchdays from the ticket collection windows outside of the club shop. ID with proof of address will be required when collecting tickets.

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Cardiff will be without Kadeem Harris,Lee Camp, Callum Paterson and Matt Connolly at the Pirelli Stadium.

Burton Summer Signings 2017-18

Liam Boyce

Hope Akpan

Matthew Lund

Stephen Warnock

Luke Murphy (loan)

Jake Buxton

2-1 to the Bluebirds.

Clough reiterates belief that Cardiff can go up

A note from Burton boss Nigel Clough in his pre-match programme notes...

NIGEL CLOUGH:

"Today we are welcoming the players, officials and visiting supporters from Cardiff City, who are managed by Neil Warnock who was manager here at Burton Albion in the 1980s."


"I think Cardiff have a realistic chance of pushing for promotion. Neil’s record of winning promotions is exceptional and coming back here, he will want to get off to a good start. It’s a long hard season but we all know the confidence you get from a good start."

TEAM NEWS

Cardiff City: Etheridge: Morrison, Manga, Bamba, Peltier, Bennett, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Tomlin, Zohore.

Subs

Murphy, Richards, Halford, Damour, Pilkington, Mendez-Laing, Ward.

Strong line up to me and I thought he would play the 3 centre halves and Murphy in goal so he must be fine with Etheridge

TEAM NEWS

Cardiff City: Etheridge: Morrison, Manga, Bamba, Peltier, Bennett, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Tomlin, Zohore.

Strong team. Looks quite defence minded though. Bamba at CDM? Or 3 and 2 wing backs?

So the only difference from last year is the keeper and Tomlin for Whitts or Kadeem...

IMO we're not getting promoted with Ralls in the middle. Can't believe Pilkington on the bench, sorry he's my pet hate.

That said... Come on city

Should be fun with that nutter Bywater in goal for Burton

BLUEBIRDS

TEAM NEWS

Cardiff City: Etheridge: Morrison, Manga, Bamba, Peltier, Bennett, Ralls, Gunnarsson, Hoilett, Tomlin, Zohore.

Strong team. Looks quite defence minded though. Bamba at CDM? Or 3 and 2 wing backs?

Very strong team

Big Ken get a touch

An early touch for Kenneth Zohore dropping deep into the hole and feeding Hoilett. Looks like Tomlin to play in behind those two.

Looks like Cardiff in a 3-4-3 with Hoilett and Tomlin staying narrow in support of Zohore. Burton in a 4-5-1 with Lukas Akins up front and Marvin Sordell shifted out to the wing with Lloyd Dyer.

The Brewers have packed the midfield too, as Hoilett is felled and Cardiff fans want an early yellow card.

Great noise from a clearly excited and sold-out away end. Cardiff fans have taken the stand behind the goal to our right as well as some of the main stand. The conventional sunshine may be missing, but there’s no mistaking the optimism of opening day.

Hoilett sharp

The dancing feet of Junior Hoilett are beguiling the Burton defence in the early stages.

It’s not been a great opening few minutes for Sol Bamba either. He’s been all over the place so far.

Offside! @kzohore expertly slots in @JoeBennett27's cross, but the Asst Ref has his flag raised. (0-0)

Offside!

That looked like 1-0 for a second.

Tomlin gets Cardiff going forward and Joe Bennett finds Zohore at the backpost. It’s put into the net but the flag goes up! No complaints from Cardiff.

Anyone at the game shed any light on what formation we are playing today?




Goal? No! Zohore has the ball in the net but it's flagged offside

Tomlin tees it up

Awesome from Tomlin. Lovely little turn to beat his man then eyes up the shot.

The Brewers rally and block, and it’s Gunnarsson’s corner which is nodded way. Encouraging stuff from Cardiff so far.

Lee Tomlin turns well inside the box but his shot is blocked away for a corner by @KyMcfadzean.

Brewers

Superb hold up play from Zohore sends the Burton full back packing and the Dane then wins a free kick.

Cardiff in the box seat so far,as Ralls sends in the free kick from wide right but the Brewers clear.

Easy for Eth

Great ball from Lloyd Dyer teases across the Cardiff box and gives Etheridge his first work to do.

The former Walsall goalkeeper collects calmly.

Cardiff being hemmed in

Bamba is being given a real examination down this Burton right, with Joe Bennett perhaps found out of position too often.

Lloyd Dyer getting a lot of space to stretch his legs, as Morrison heads clear a Matty Lund corner and Hoilett does his bit defensively.

Another corner to the #Brewers, won by Sordell. Lund to take again.