Burton Albion 1-3 Boston United

Charley Sanders’ first half brace and a Jake Beauchamp spot-kick midway through the second period booked the Pilgrims a deserved passage into the second round.

Evan Garnett had reduced the deficit for the home side after 53 minutes, but the Pilgrims weathered the storm to eventually add their third goal through Beauchamp’s cool penalty.

The Pilgrims will now entertain Bradford City or Marine in the second round during the week commencing November 15.

With Sanders in tandem with captain James Tricks from the start, the Pilgrims threatened inside 27 seconds.

Keeper Talon Didlick kicked the ball straight against Tricks and Sanders lashed an angled effort wide from 18 yards.

Burton created their first opening when Ryan Tinsley crashed an effort wide. Garnett then sailed an effort off target following Samuel Croucher’s right-wing centre.

The Pilgrims took the lead in the 10th minute when SANDERS found himself free on the left-hand side of the penalty area and he scuffed a shot into the far corner from 15 yards.

United keeper Marc Hipwell spectacularly turned aside a Tinsley drive, before bravely saving through a crowd of bodies having conceded an indirect free-kick for handling a back-pass.

Home skipper Dominic Allen posed problems by arriving late into the box and he headed wide following a Ben Knight cross.

United carved open a good opening when Beauchamp whipped in a free-kick and Jordan Nuttell planted a header too high.

Boston doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Tricks robbed possession off Kyle O’Mahoney and lobbed the ball goalwards for SANDERS to head home from a couple of yards and cap a dream half for the Pilgrims.

Albion cranked up the pressure after half-time and went close when Liam Slade saw a header blocked, while some dogged defending from Lewis Sturman and his defensive colleagues repelled a succession of efforts from the visitors.

United substitute Joe Briers advanced to drill an effort just wide for the Pilgrims, but Burton were soon back in contention. Croucher found room on the Burton right and GARNETT applied a close-range finish beyond a helpless Hipwell.

Hipwell made a solid stop to deny Jevon Seaton, while Allen sent a volley and an overhead kick off target as right-back Knight started to find plenty of room to rampage down the right.

United found some respite and scored their third goal following a barnstorming breakaway from Briers. Carrying the ball from fractionally outside his own area, Briers surged the length of the field before being upended by Slade in the other penalty box.

BEAUCHAMP stepped up to blast the spot-kick beyond the grasp of Didlick.

The home side enjoyed plenty of possession during the closing stages but United, led by the superb Sturman and Nuttell, stood firm to close out a deserved win.

Burton (4-3-3): Talon Didlick; Ben Knight, Matthew Palmer, Liam Slade (Joe Doyle-Charles 71), Kyle O’Mahoney; Samuel Croucher (Benjamin Cowdrill 80), Nathan Bullock, Dominic Allen; Jevon Seaton, Ryan Tinsley (Marcus Harness 46), Evan Garnett. Subs (not used): Ryan Pirrie, Michael Turner (gk).

Boston (4-4-2): Marc Hipwell; Niall Delahoy, Lewis Sturman, Jordan Nuttell, Charlie Rossington; James Reed, Elliott Price, Jake Beauchamp, Stuart Whitaker (Joe Briers 46); Charley Sanders (Jake Platten 90), James Tricks. Subs (not used): Todd Devlin, Scott Langan, Aaron Eyett.

Referee: Hristo Karaivanov