Burton Albion: Boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink wants 'front-foot' defending from his team

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is in his second spell as Burton Albion boss

Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged his team to do more defending in the other team's half following Tuesday's win over Sunderland.

The victory made it three out of three in League One for the Brewers at the start of the new season, with only one goal conceded.

Jonny Smith scored with Burton's only shot on target in the match.

"We've had three high intensity games and the energy levels dropped a little bit," said Hasselbaink.

"Sunderland have really good players with lots of experience, who can manipulate the ball and play a lot of 1-2s around the box and get shots off.

"Their chances were much better and I was very happy it was still 0-0 (at half-time), we could regroup, we could have a little breather, we could try and understand why they had the chances."

The win put Burton second in the table, below Portsmouth on goal difference, after finishing 16th in 2020-21.

"What I do like from us is we keep on going and we stuck together. But when it was 1-0, we went backwards, we wanted to defend the 1-0 and I want us to go forward and defend the goal in their half," Hasselbaink told BBC Radio Derby.

"When their goalkeeper has a goal kick we can be more advanced, and if they play a long ball you can win those second balls and have it here (in their half) instead of close to your goal, and be front-footed.

"It's a process, it's a learning curve."

Burton are away to Cambridge United in their next game on Saturday.