BURTON Albion earned an FA Cup third round trip to Championship side Bournemouth last night with a 1-0 replay win over Fleetwood Town at the Pirelli Stadium.
Billy Kee – who bailed the Brewers out with a late leveller in the first second round tie – won it with another excellent strike in the first half to see off the Cod Army.
It was another tense affair between the sides following their 1-1 draw at Highbury Stadium.
Then, Kee salvaged a replay for Burton with his late leveller.
Again, there was little between Gary Rowett's men and the visitors, who are rivals for promotion to League One this season.
But thanks to Kee – and another determined performance to keep a clean sheet – the Brewers earned £27,000 and a chance to test themselves against Championship opposition.
It was a seventh 1-0 win of the season for Albion and a 10th clean sheet in what is shaping up to be a very successful campaign.
They never really looked in trouble against Fleetwood and there were very positive signs of a partnership being struck up between Kee and Rene Howe, who worked tirelessly to close players down and help out with his defensive duties.
Rowett named an unchanged side from Saturday's slightly disappointing 1-1 draw with York City in League Two.
Adam McGurk again missed out as he recovers from the nasty blow to the head he took in the original tie with Fleetwood.
The Cod Army were missing winger Matty Blair, who was arguably the most dangerous player on the pitch when the sides drew at Highbury Stadium.
It was a fairly even start, with neither side creating much of note in the opening 20 minutes.
Kee then gave Albion the lead with another cracker which made it four in his last four appearances.
Damien McCrory's cross from the left was headed back by Hussey at the far post for Kee to turn on the edge of box and find the bottom corner with a lovely finish.
Jeff Hughes, who scored for Fleetwood in the original tie, hobbled off after he came off worse having flown into a tackle with Lee Bell which earned him a booking.
Howe had a chance just after the half-hour mark as he met Alex MacDonald's cracking cross but the big striker was crowded out as he chased his own header.
Three minutes into the second half keeper Dean Lyness had to get down quickly and block a shot from Gareth Evans as he got onto a ball into the box from substitute Antoni Sarcevic.
Howe had a shot from the edge of the box deflected over by Mark Roberts in the 51st minute before MacDonald drove in a low free kick from a tight angle which Fleetwood keeper Scott Davies was quickly down to stop.
The game exploded into life just short of the hour when the dangerous Sarcevic went down under a challenge from Bell in the box. Referee Charles Brakespear immediately blew up for a dive from the Fleetwood man and Albion were incensed.
Phil Edwards picked up a yellow for an angry shove on Sarcevic in a 16-man melee. When tempers had calmed Sarcevic was also rightly booked.
The flashpoint seemed to stir Albion and Davies clawed away a header from Hussey.
Kee then turned and blasted a shot over.
