Burton interim Hounsell in frame for head coach role

Tom Hounsell interim head coach for Burton Albion

Interim Burton coach Tom Hounsell is in the mix to take over permanently at the League One strugglers according to the club's Scandinavian owners.

A 1-0 win at Peterborough delivered a timely boost to the troubled club's fortunes and lifted the Brewers off the bottom of League One.

But it also gave a shot in the arm for hopes that Hounsell, who has been interim boss since Mark Robinson was sacked in October, could take over in the dugout on a permanent basis.

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, Tom Davidson, deputy chairman of Burton's owners Nordic Football Group, said: "We really like Tom. He is super smart and a really talented coach.

"And what Tom has done here and stepped up and what John Brayford [first-team coach] have done in a very difficult situation after losing Mark Robinson, they deserve all credit."

Burton leapfrogged Shrewsbury Town at the bottom of League One with Wednesday's win but remain seven points from safety.

Davidson admitted it has not been the start to NFG's ownership that anyone envisaged, least of all fans who are voting with their feet.

Over 5,000 were at the Pirelli Stadium for the Brewers' season opener against Lincoln but just one league win in nine at home has seen attendances dip under 2,000 and fewer than 100 travelled to witness Wednesday's win.

"We knew it was going to tough and we did not want to start like this," said Davidson. "We are really sorry for that. The only thing we can do is take responsibility for that, learn and act.

"It is up to NFG to change that so that fans feel there might be something about this new era that can be good. We take responsibility and hope that change will come soon."

The Nordic Football Group, founded by Tom Davidson, spent four years looking for a club to buy before completing their takeover of Burton

Davidson suggested the search for a head coach, which has already taken six weeks, would soon be over but insisted NFG were determined to make the correct appointment after their first appointment lasted four months.

"If the process could have been quicker we would have been happy, but we also hope that soon Burton Albion will have a new head coach. It has been a long wait but we will be soon over that line," said Davidson.

"We hold our hands up for that [delay] but we want to get this right. We want to build a stable Burton Albion that is in another situation to where we are now. That is so important to us."

Hounsell will aim to steer his side to back-to-back wins for the first time this season when his side host Wrexham in the league on Saturday.

"It's a quick turnaround, it always is in this league and we knew this period would be tough. But we need to make sure that we go again at the weekend," he said.

"Every win is always important and there's always going to be setbacks. But that's the way we have to be in every game to be able to start grinding out performances."