Earwig
by REX PAGE
BURTON Albion walked the tightrope between success and failure and ended up doing neither in a six-goal Easter Monday thriller.
The Brewers and promotion hopefuls Torquay United slugged it out like a pair of old fashioned prize-fighters in the most entertaining game of the campaign at the Pirelli Stadium.
Albion dragged themselves off the canvas after the Gulls delivered two potentially knockout blows in the first 14 minutes.
But in a stunning reversal of fortunes they battled off the ropes to fight their way to a 3-2 lead only for Torquay to rescue a point in a topsy-turvy encounter that had both sets of fans on the edge of their seats for much of the game.
No-one epitomised Albion s fighting spirit better than skipper John McGrath.
The Irishman was mortified when his blunder gifted Chris Zebroski the opening goal in the 10th minute.
Gavin Tomlin quickly extended the Gulls lead, but McGrath was the man who launched Albion s comeback with a 25-yard strike.
Greg Pearson levelled the scores before half-time and Calvin Zola put them in front after the interval  only for Billy Kee to come off the bench to earn the visitors a point.
After a promising display as a substitute in the victory at Aldershot Town on Saturday, Scott Malone was promoted to the starting line-up on the left of midfield in an otherwise unchanged Albion side.
With a large away following swelling the crowd and much at stake at both ends of the table, there was a good atmosphere inside the ground.
Albion had the first opening inside two minutes after Zola laid off Andy Corbett s clearance, but Jacques Maghoma allowed a shooting chance to go begging in trying to find Pearson.
Malone then produced an excellent cross in his second dangerous raid on the left but former Brewers defender Guy Branston made a booming clearance before the on-loan player whipped a 25- yard shot inches wide.
The Gulls had barely ventured out of their own half when they were gifted the lead and it was McGrath of all people who handed it to them..
The Irishman had all the time in the world to make a clearance but tried to dribble the ball across his own six-yard box and was left red-faced when Zebroski made a sliding tackle that squirted the ball past a bemused Adam Legzdins.
And the Brewers were left with a mountain climb when the Gulls doubled their lead four minutes later this time with a well-crafted goal after a stray pass in midfield by Russell Penn.
Albion had no answer to the slick passing of Zebroski and Eunan O Kane that left Tomlin with the time and space to pick his spot from eight yards.
Maghoma shot yards too high with an ambitious long-range shot but it was Torquay who looked the more dangerous side with Darren Moore having to block shots from Zebroski and Tomlin in quick succession.
The Brewers looked on the brink of falling apart, but McGrath came to the rescue with his third goal of the season in the 26th minute.
The skipper made spectacular amends for his earlier mistake by curling a 25-yard shot through the hands of Scott Bevan after being teed up by Zola.
Zola was unable to get any power behind a header after a McGrath cross as Albion continued to improve.
But there was a let-off for the home side after a fine passing move by the Gulls ended with Tomlin shooting too high in the 36th minute.
A pulsating battle took another twist as Albion levelled the scores in the 41st minute.
Maghoma had too much pace for Kevin Nicholson and sent a low centre arcing into the Gulls area.
Zola was unable to make clean contact but the ball ran through unchecked for Pearson to rattle a left-foot shot inside the near post.
After the fireworks of the first half, the second period was slow to come to life.
Craig Stanley s chipped shot drifted wide in the 53rd minute and Tomlin s final pass was too strong for Jake Robinson as the Gulls tried to reimpose their passing game.
But it was the Brewers who struck the next blow in the 56th minute when Zola soared magnificently to power home a header from Penn s cross.
Branston headed wide from a corner kick and James came out on top as Zebroski tried to muscle his way through in a strong response by the visitors, who also introduced striker Billy Kee.
Albion made their first change in the 64th minute when Sam Winnall replaced Pearson up front.
The youngster should have increased Albion s lead immediately but contrived to miss Malone s brilliant cross three yards out.
The ball ran through to Maghoma but his shot flew wide of the far post.
It was the Torquay substitution that proved more successful as Kee scored a superb equaliser for the Gulls in the 73rd minute.
The dangerous Tomlin unlocked Albion s defence with great work and the substitute beat Legzdins comprehensively from 20 yards.
Branston earned the wrath of Albion fans for lunging late at Winnall, but escaped with a yellow card before having what looked an angry exchange of words with former team-mate Aaron Webster.
Winnall struck the free kick sweetly from 25 yards but Scott Bevan dived fulllength to push the ball away for a corner kick.
At the other end, Legzdins dropped on a Branston header as Albion struggled to clear a Stanley corner kick.
It was still end-to-end stuff, with both teams introducing attacking players in the shape of Jimmy Phillips and Danny Stevens going into the last five minutes.
Albion put in the stronger finish and twice went close to a stunning victory.
Maghoma had a shot pushed round a post by Bevan, and the usually reliable Webster volleyed wide from McGrath s corner kick.
Oh, and don't forget,we've beaten Chesterfield 3 times this season, they're gonna wobble
