Burton Albion 2-0 Bournemouth: Drama at the Pirelli stadium as power outage disrupts Brewers' shock Carabao Cup upset over Cherries as play is abandoned...and then resumes!

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A power surge in the Burton area caused a triple floodlight failure and major disruption to this Carabao Cup tie.

To be honest, it was probably the most effective way to conceal a lacklustre Bournemouth performance against their League One hosts both before and after the lights went out.

The one scant consolation for the 600 or so travelling fans from the south coast was that the game wasn’t abandoned - as looked very likely at one point - forcing them to make the 380-mile round trip again.

Nathan Broadhead's goal gave Burton the win amid chaotic scenes in their Carabao Cup game

But all credit must go to Burton, who were clearly the superior team throughout despite the disruptions and have the appetite for another Cup run after last year’s heroics before they fell in front of the headlights of Manchester City’s juggernaut in the semi-finals.

The farcical scenes began when the Pirelli Stadium was plunged into darkness due to issues with the power supply in the Staffordshire town seven minutes into the second-half, with Burton leading 1-0.

The players were off for 10 minutes and could only resume for two before the lights went a second time on 72 minutes.

Both teams loitered in the tunnel as the two sets of fans amused themselves by singing ‘we’ll sing in the dark’. 

And they had just got underway again when the inevitable happened and it appeared referee John Busby had called the whole thing off.

But after consulting with the players and coaching staff, Busby decided to try and complete the remaining half-hour. Luckily, the power continued to flow and so did Burton.

Oliver Sarkic gave Burton an unlikely lead with his 14th minute volley against Bournemouth

The former Leeds forward wheels away in celebration after opening the scoring for Burton

After the resumption, Oliver Sarkic, the man who’d opened the scoring on 15 minutes turned provider for Nathan Broadhead to net what was a thoroughly deserved second for the Brewers.

With Bournemouth currently a lofty sixth in the Premier league table - ahead of Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham - it came as little surprise that Eddie Howe made 10 changes to the team that claimed local bragging rights at Southampton last Friday.

There was a first competitive start for defender Simon Francis in nine months following his cruciate ligament injury and a Bournemouth debut for summer arrival Lloyd Kelly.

Burton players congratulate the Montenegro international after his fine goal

The top-flight side started well enough, zipping passes around on the slick surface but Burton, who aren’t exactly setting the world alight in League One, soon shook them from their comfort zone.

Ryan Edwards tested Bournemouth keeper Mark Travers with a low shot moments before the deadlock was broken on the quarter-hour.

Reece Hutchinson made headway into the Bournemouth box and crossed to Montenegro under-21 international Sarkic, who’d ghosted in behind the Cherries’ unfamiliar second string defence.

Bournemouth's Ryan Fraser rounded Burton keeper Kieran O'Hara but the keeper recovered

The game was disrupted twice as a power outage caused the stadium floodlights to turn off

Sarkic’s connection on the volley was sweet and his shot found out the bottom corner for a memorable first goal in English football.

Burton sought to press home their advantage and Travers had to fingertip away a Broadhead effort not long afterwards.

Howe immediately switched his side to a 4-3-3 system after conceding but there was plenty that was shoddy and slapdash about Bournemouth’s play as too many passes went astray - or simply out of play.

They struggled to get service into Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke up front, though Ibe thought he should have been awarded a penalty when tackled by John-Joe O’Toole.

The players returned to the pitch and 28 minutes were added on at the Pirelli Stadium

But there were even louder appeals for handball at the other end when Jack Simpson slid in to challenge Broadhead, referee John Busby again unmoved.

Those who’d made the mammoth midweek journey from the south coast amused themselves by singing the Simpsons theme tune whenever Simpson touched the ball and there were certainly plenty of ‘D’oh’ moments during a lacklustre first-half.

Yet they might have gone in level but for Burton keeper Kieran O’Hara’s bravery in saving at Ryan Fraser’s feet after Solanke had slipped the Scotsman through.

When play resumed, Broadhead could easily have settled it, only to be denied by Travers’ fingertip save.

Eddie Howe fielded a relatively strong side but they looked out of sorts on Wednesday

The fourth official James Bell drew laughter from the crowd by announcing 28 minutes of “added time” on his electronic board and in the eighth of those Burton doubled their lead.

Sarkic zipped into the Bournemouth box down the right and crossed low for Broadhead to finish at the back post.

And it took another excellent Travers save to deny Sarkic his second moments later after Hutchinson had again worked space to cross.

Bournemouth struck the post late on through Simpson’s header but a fightback always looked well beyond them.