Burton Albion and Stevenage played out a goalless draw at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday, a result that highlighted the learning curves both sides are navigating in their respective journeys this season.
While Burton were left still searching for their first League One win under new head coach Mark Robinson, Stevenage were content with a point on the road as they continue their impressive start to the campaign.
A Frustrating Encounter
The first half was a slow burner, with chances at a premium. Jack Armer’s cross for Burton struck the post early on, while Dan Kemp drove a speculative effort straight at Max Crocombe in the Burton goal. The half came to life with five minutes remaining as Kemp went close again, curling an effort just wide, before Danilo Orsi missed the best chance of the game for Albion. A lightning counter saw Orsi get on the end of Ben Whitfield’s low cross but somehow turned the ball the wrong side of the upright when sliding in at the back post. It proved to be the best chance of the game as the second half failed to provide a clear opportunity for either side.
Learning From The Draw
Speaking after the game, Mark Robinson acknowledged that his side are still in a learning phase, and that the goalless draw was a part of that process. “Today is all part of the learning curve,” he said. “We want to play but to do that there are other things you have to do during certain periods. The positive is that we kept a clean sheet and defended our penalty area well.”
Robinson also highlighted the importance of building a strong personality within the team. “To be what we want to be you have to have that personality and that doesn’t just mean playing your football,” he said. “It is mixed feelings today but that is a part of where we are. We want a game where it is quick and flowing and today wasn’t that. Today was too slow.”
Stevenage's Missed Opportunities
On the other side, Stevenage manager Alex Revell was left frustrated that his side had not been able to take their chances and secure all three points. “When you come away to anywhere in this league, to keep a clean sheet it is always a positive and no shots on target against us against a team that have been scoring for fun probably shows how well we played defensively,” he said.
Revell also highlighted the importance of converting their chances in the final third. “But the thing is that when we win the ball back, which is a big part of our game, we had opportunities and they are the moments that make the difference and we need to keep improving on that. We have to take chances and opportunities and we had a great one in the last minute to get a win which we would have thoroughly deserved. We have had, near enough, double figures in terms of chances in every game and the goals aren’t reflecting the number of chances we are creating. We need to keep going and we are glad to have a free week now to nail down those finer details.”
A Look Ahead
Both Burton and Stevenage will be hoping to build on the positives from this match as they look to climb the League One table in the coming weeks. Burton will be looking to secure their first win of the season when they host Wycombe Wanderers next weekend, while Stevenage will be looking to continue their impressive start to the campaign with a home game against Port Vale.
A Tale of Two Teams
The draw at the Pirelli Stadium was a frustrating one for both sides, but it also underlined the different challenges that each team is facing this season. Burton are still adjusting to new management and a new playing style, while Stevenage are looking to build on a promising start to the campaign.
It remains to be seen whether either team can turn their potential into consistent results. But one thing is for sure: both Burton Albion and Stevenage will need to continue to learn and adapt if they want to achieve their goals this season.
