Sunderland were made to rue several missed chances as the lads suffered a first defeat of the season in League One.
Sunderland carved out multiple chances in the first half but couldn’t find the breakthrough. Jonny Smith made the breakthrough for Burton in the second period which was enough for the three points.
Lee Johnson made one change following the win over MK Dons as Cory Evans was ruled out through injury and was replaced by Luke O’Nien, who returned from illness. There were two new faces on the bench, with Frederik Alves and Nathan Broadhead looking to make their debuts.
The two sides came into the game with maximum points on the board and set up a big match down at the Pirelli Stadium.
Sunderland started the game well with Dan Neil heavily involved, and the young midfielder’s vision was causing all sorts of problems.
The lads had the first big chance of the game, Aiden McGeady was clean through on goal, but his attempted chip was poor, and Ben Garratt palmed the effort wide.
15 minutes in, and Sunderland had another great chance; a long ball over the top found Stewart, but the big Scot’s effort was tame and easy for Garratt.
Sunderland were knocking on the door; it was McGeady again who was denied by Garratt who tipped a low effort round the post.
Johnson will have been delighted with his team’s performance bar the finish; Sunderland were carving Burton open at will and had three great chances to go ahead.
Burton almost punished Sunderland as Omari Patrick turned and fired an effort just wide of Lee Burge’s post.
Sunderland were dominant opening 20 minutes, but the hosts had grown into the game and were looking to carve out some openings.
With only five minutes left in the half, Sunderland went close again; Embleton’s ball in was met by the long leg of Stewart, who was denied by a brilliant Garratt save.
Sunderland had started the second half on the front foot, but Burton were quick on the break and Tom Flanagan brilliantly blocked Lucas Akins’ goal bound effort.
Burton had their best chance of the night as freekick from the left was whipped into a free Ryan Leak who missed the target.
An hour into the game, and it was a tightly contested second half and the longer the game went on it looked as if the one goal would be the winner.
Sunderland had their best chance of the half through Carl Winchester, the make-shift full back cut inside and fired an effort from range that was parried wide by the Burton stopper.
The hosts took the lead with 25 minutes to go after losing possession in midfield and Jonny Smith curled a lovely effort past Burge into corner.
Lee Johnson made two changes to try and get back into the game as Alex Pritchard and debutant Broadhead were introduced for Embleton and Dennis Cirkin.
The lads were pushing for an equaliser and substitute Pritchard came close with a sweeping effort which whistled just wide of the post.
It was proving not to be Sunderland’s day as the lads missed another great chance; Broadhead was slipped through by O’Nien but was again denied by Garratt.
The hosts almost sealed the points, but Smith’s effort from range crashed off the post and away to safety.
Pritchard almost made the difference with only a few minutes to play as his effort from long range was palmed wide by Garratt, who had a magnificent game between the sticks.
With the last kick of the game Sunderland had the ball in the back of the net through a Flanagan header, but the linesman ruled it out for offside. Flanagan and co were fuming with the officials, but there was no changing the linesman’s decision.
Full Time: Burton Albion 1-0 Sunderland
ALS Man of the Match: Dan Neil
Sunderland: Burge; Winchester, Flanagan, Doyle, Cirkin (Broadhead 71’); O'Nien, Neil, Gooch, Embleton (Pritchard 71’), McGeady; Stewart
Subs not used: Patterson, Alves, O'Brien, Diamond & Wright
