Burton Albion 0
Stevenage 4
Football League Trophy (Round of 32)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

Stevenage finally showed their teeth in front of goal as they roared into the last 16 of the Vertu Trophy at Burton Albion.

Lewis Freestone's first goal for the club gave them an early lead and after Tyreece Simpson had eased them further ahead nine minutes into the second half, Ken Aboh and Harvey White sealed the 4-0 victory late on.

Rampant was the obvious word to describe it because they simply ripped the heart out of the Brewers, who by the end simply had no answer.

And after a season of difficulty when it comes to scoring, this was a delight for the small band of travelling supporters.

There were eight changes from Boro's last match at home to Northampton Town last Tuesday.

Taye Ashby-Hammond, Nick Freeman, Jordan Roberts, Simpson, Kane Smith, Freestone, Dan Phillips and Eli King came in.

Murphy Cooper, Nathan Thompson, Carl Piergianni, Dan Kemp, Elliott List, White, Jamie Reid and Louis Thompson were the men going out.

Just for balance, Burton made 10 changes to the side who lost 1-0 at home to Wrexham on Saturday, with no place in the squad for former Stevenage hero Terence Vancooten.

A quick start is something Boro have not really had this season but they were in front on six minutes.

They had been the brighter side in the opening stages and King had sent a couple of free-kicks into the penalty area.

This time it was a corner that keeper Harry Isted didn't gather.

Jake Young tried to prod it home in the ensuing scramble and while the keeper could get a block on that, the ball popped up to the back post where Freestone looped it over everyone and into the far corner.

They lost Young to an injury picked up in that moment but replacement Aboh was showing signs of sharpness.

And with the press working well, Burton were struggling to keep hold of the ball.

A clever free-kick from King to Smith ended with the ball chipped to back post. Simpson was unmarked but his header was saved, the offside flag sparing his blushes.

The problem though was with the ball. More and more often they were winning the ball but finding zero movement from purple shirts, all waiting until the ball was kicked forward to react.

It allowed Burton to have more than their own share of possession and they created some good chances.

Jack Hazlehurst had a shot deflected through to Ashby-Hammond and then inexplicably decided not to shoot when a header by Bodin was played back to him.

Two corners also brought an equaliser, Alex Bannon and Jason Sraha both putting an effort over the top as the Boro defence stood watching and then Bodin hooked a shot low across the box and wide.

Both sides made changes at the break, Boro's three feeling very planned with Piergianni, Nathan Thompson and White coming on.

And like the first half, they drew first blood early.

A ball was played forward and found its way to Simpson who got goal-side of his marker.

He took a touch, held him off and then from a central position on the edge of the box, he thumped the ball high into the roof of the net.

It brought an appreciative round of applause from his manager, serving the first of a two-match touchline ban.

Both sides made their final changes by the 68th minute and there were chances either side of that moment.

The first fell to Burton but Josh Taroni's volley from a central position was blocked the diving head of Piergianni, who simply got up.

The other came after the last switch.

Aboh had got away down the left and his low cross was diverted goalwards by a Burton defender.

Aaron Pressley was next to the keeper and it seemed to hit the Boro man before spinning towards the line.

That was where it was hooked away to safety.

But at that point there was a sense that Boro were on top and tey put the game to bed in the final stages.

Aboh was causing havoc donw the left and seconds after a cross towards Roberts was just cut out, he won a free-kick.

That was delivered to Piergianni who couldn't get any power on the header.

It did run loose though and after Pressley tried to hook it in, Aboh arrived to thump it home from seven yards.

Roberts almost made it four moments later but after stealing a ball and beating the last defender, his attempted lob was pushed away by Isted.

However, it was 4-0 a few minutes later and again Aboh was involved.

His run led to a Pressley shot that struck the foot of the keeper's near post. The rebound though ran to White and he rolled it into the empty net.

There could have been more, maybe that was being greedy, but by this point Boro were worthy of the win and more.