WANDERERS were sucked back into the bottom three after a desperate defeat against fellow strugglers Burton Albion.

Lloyd Dyer scored the only goal of a nervous game to give Nigel Clough’s men only their second win in 14 Championship games.

Phil Parkinson’s side came close to a second-half equaliser when Stephen Bywater tipped David Wheater’s header and Darren Pratley failed to net the follow-up.

But the lack of poise shown in possession and in front of goal was the difference maker, admitted a disappointed Wanderers boss.

“We have had a good run at home and we’ve been a lot better but we didn’t show enough quality on the ball today,” he said. “The onus was on us and in patches we moved the ball quickly but not anywhere near enough.

“That is a huge disappointment. We came into the game expecting to win but Burton are a difficult team to play against when they go ahead and they showed it today.”

Dyer’s goal summed up a scrappy game, drilled home from the edge of the penalty box through a sea of bodies to beat an unsighted Ben Alnwick.

“The lad hit it from the edge of the box and it went through a load of legs and into the net,” Parkinson added. “From there, Burton were always going to sit back and defend, make it difficult.

“We couldn’t find that moment of quality to take our chances. We had them before they scored and we didn’t make their keeper work enough. When we did hit the target it was hit straight at him. We needed someone to be calm and stick the ball in the back of the net from a chance or a set play, and settle everyone down.

“Burton have done that in the past where they come, sit back and hit you on the counter and they were difficult for us to break down.

“After the goal it was always going to be a game of few chances but we needed to take the ones we did create.”

Burton assistant Andy Garner felt his side were due a change of fortune.

“We said before the game we didn’t want to lose but we also said at half time there was a chance to win if you want to, and man for man they were superb,” he said.

“The first goal was vital. It shows if you have something to fight for, we were strong under pressure.

“We have been saying it for weeks, we have been unlucky at Ipswich and Barnsley and the longer it goes the harder it gets. It starts here today.

“There was something in the air today, I just fancied it. Over the 90 minutes we deserved it.”

On Dyer’s scruffy strike, Garner added.

“Usually that’s 20 yards over the bar knowing our lads. From the distance I thought the keeper should have got a hand on it – or it was side-netting. But I am delighted.”