Stevenage 0
Burton Albion 1
League (League One)

Match report written by Neil Metcalfe, The Comet

There were boos at half-time but even a second-half penalty and a red card to Burton Albion could not prevent them returning at the final whistle - as Stevenage fall to another defeat

Charlie Webster put the relegation-threatened Brewers in front on 45 minutes before Terence Vancooten, on his first visit back to the Lamex, tried his best to give Boro the initiative.

First he gave Jamie Reid a penalty, that was blasted high over the top, and then a minute later he fouled his former team-mate again to earn a straight red.

But Burton stood firm against the onslaught to win 1-0 and claim a vital three points.

There were just the two changes from the draw with Peterborough on Saturday, although perhaps surprisingly, neither included Jordan Roberts, whose mistake led to the Posh equaliser.

Instead Jamie Reid and Dan Phillips were recalled, replacing Kyle Edwards and Louis Thompson.

There was also a recall to the bench, Jake Young back after a three-game absence with Harvey White missing out altogether.

There was a promising start from the hosts but that was all there was in the first half as Burton deservedly got themselves in front.

They should have done so on 13 minutes when they hit the crossbar twice in the space of 30 seconds.

The first was after a lovely cross from Webster, although he was given way too much space to deliver it.

JJ McKiernan's header came flush off the bar but the ball found its way back to the Burton right.

And this time when it came into the back post, Jon Bodvarsson stabbed it up and off the underside of the goal frame.

Moments later Ryan Sweeney was unmarked at a corner and the mood distinctively changed among the home fans.

They had a brief moment of chances, Carl Piergianni heading a corner towards goal but the ball clipped off Webster and went behind again.

Moments later Brandon Hanlan directed a header goalwards as he ran backwards, but that lacked power and was tipped over.

But too often control was non-existent and the pass percentage was criminally low as white shirts failed time and time again to find a team-mate.

Some boos seemed inevitable at the break but they were guaranteed when Burton took the lead.

Rumarn Burrell was unmarked down the Burton left as he got to the edge of the area.

The pass inside to Webster found the Burton man equally without a shadow and although Lewis Freestone got closer to him, he was still able to pull his shot through the left-back's legs and to the left of the keeper.

A response was needed at the start of the second half and perhaps surprisingly, it was the starting XI who were allowed to try and find it, no substitutes brought on.

But after Cooper had saved a Udoka Godwin-Malife shot with his face inside the first minute of the half, manager Alex Revell looked to his bench.

However, before he had a chance to introduce them, all hell broke loose.

First Reid wriggled past Terence Vancooten on the byline and was brought down.

The striker let his former team-mate off by skying the spot-kick over the bar but a minute later, Vancooten hacked Reid down again and this time he was last man, seeing an instant red card.

From then on, it was one way traffic with Stevenage using all five subs by the 74th minute as they tried to find a way through.

Hanlan had a firm header go wide and then Edwards was a touch closer with a shot from the right that whistled past the post.

They kept pressing but Boro never looked like breaking the yellow wall down.

And back came the boos at full-time.