Martin Paterson felt the nerves during the end of Burton’s 3-2 win over Reading which kept their League One survival hopes alive.

Mason Bennett and Mustapha Carayol put Albion 2-0 ahead inside 11 minutes before Lewis Wing halved the deficit for Reading.

Bobby Kamwa ensured Burton entered half-time 3-1 up, with Sam Smith’s penalty on the hour mark setting up a nervy finish that the hosts survived.

Burton’s first home win in nine attempts left them five points clear of Cheltenham, who occupy the final relegation place and have a game in hand.

“First half we were good,” Paterson said.

“I knew how I wanted to address this game at home with two wingers and change to a 4-3-3 in possession and I like it, it suited us.

“We made life hard for ourselves defensively, in moments and in our decision making and I honestly think it was down to nerves because it was such a big game. The players knew that we needed points on the board.

“We looked good in the first part of the game but then second half I had to look at the position we were in and not necessarily what I wanted to do, or how I would like to play.

“I changed shape out of necessity to see out the game. It was nerve-racking at the end if I am being completely honest.”

Carayol and Kamwa have been mainly used as substitutes, but Paterson was delighted with the impact his two wingers had.

“Muzzy was fantastic today,” he enthused.

“I was nervous for him today carrying a knock and Bobby Kamwa was good for us too and just needs that match fitness.”

With Reading already safe at the end of a tumultuous season, Ruben Selles was left frustrated by a poor opening to the game that ultimately cost his team anything from the game.

“It was a poor first half from us,” he admitted.

“The opponent hit us with some direct balls, and we had a couple of mistakes when we conceded the first two goals

“When we score at 2-1, we thought it could give us some energy for the game and some momentum back and then the third goal was a disappointing moment for us.

“I think in the second half we came out to win the game. We scored the second one and then we kept them in the box, but they managed to keep the score and it was disappointing to not get anything more.

“We knew it was going to be a tough game with them battling to survive and they did their job. We had a couple of moments of losing our application and conceding goals.”

Burton grabbed what could be a crucial three points in their fight against relegation in League One with a 3-2 win over Reading at the Pirelli Stadium.

Albion secured a first win on home soil in nine attempts and hauled themselves five points clear of Cheltenham, who have one game in hand.

Burton got off to a rapid start with two goals in the first 11 minutes.

Mason Bennett reacted quickest to Joe Powell’s low curling free-kick to smash home at the second attempt from inside the six-yard box in the fifth minute.

Mustapha Carayol chose the perfect time to curl home his first of the season with a superb effort from the edge of the box just six minutes later.

Reading always looked dangerous going forwards and it took a free-kick from skipper Lewis Wing to halve the deficit before Bobby Kamwa added a third for Albion just before half-time, blasting in from close range after Reading had failed to clear their lines.

The visitors scored again just before the hour mark when Sam Smith beat Max Crocombe from the penalty spot after Jasper Moon had been adjudged to have brought down Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Albion survived a nervy final half hour as Reading pushed for an equaliser to give their survival hopes a massive boost.

Burton boss Martin Paterson felt his half-time team talk paid off in the 2-1 win at Leyton Orient.

The Brewers had trailed to a George Moncur penalty before the break, but Mason Bennett and Aristote Nsiala made Orient pay for two defensive mistakes to secure all three points in their first visit to Brisbane Road.

It was the second successive win on the road for the visitors, who moved six points clear of the League One relegation zone.

“I spoke to the players at half-time and I think that was the difference because they (Orient) led at half-time but didn’t have a clear-cut chance and only scored from the penalty which was a poor piece of defending,” Paterson said.

“We knew Orient are a really good team that are possession based so we set up a certain way. However within that, I was disappointed we didn’t see the triggers at certain times so sometimes players need education, help and encouragement.

“I’ll be positive about Orient because they have a clear identity but I knew if we could stay in the game and tweak things tactically with our substitutions, we could get something.

“They shaded it first half but second we definitely did, so I’m delighted with the result.

“My job is to keep encouraging, build the confidence. The non negotiables in terms of effort are there for all to see. It’s a group that wins the games not individuals.”

Orient boss Richie Wellens felt his side dropped their levels after the break.

He said: “I think they’ve had three shots on target and they’ve scored from two of them. In the last two home games the opposition have scored five goals and we’ve only faced six shots after we’ve dominated possession.

“I think the performance first half was excellent and we could have been two or three-nil up. Maybe we could have moved the ball quicker, but we were playing against a team who came here to defend and sit back.

“We were passing along the back and we wasn’t clever enough and went safe and played to the full-back and we can’t play like that.

“Fair play to Burton as they stayed in the game and got a smash and grab. We haven’t got the squad to push. We still have a small opportunity but this 10 per cent drop off is huge for us.”

“Second half right from the kick-off we went backwards to our goalkeeper who slips and had to do a Cryuff turn to get out of trouble. It was far too slow. Then we went long ball time and time again and we didn’t squeeze.”

Burton moved six points clear of the League One relegation zone after stealing a 2-1 win at Leyton Orient.

After George Moncur gave Orient a first-half lead, Mason Bennett and Aristote Nsiala struck in the space of four second-half minutes.

The first half had proved an uneventful period with the home side, despite enjoying 83 per cent possession, struggling to break down Albion’s five-man backline.

The stalemate was broken after 43 minutes when Shaq Forde moved into the box before being brought down by Tolaji Bola and Moncur stepped forward to coolly convert the spot-kick.

Burton had been outplayed in the first half but they were galvanised when Omar Beckles gave the ball away in the 72nd minute and Mark Helm picked out Bennett for the equaliser.

Four minutes later, O’s keeper Sol Brynn hesitated when he came to meet a Joe Powell set-piece and Nsiala stabbed the ball home from six yards to put the visitors in front.

Shrewsbury manager Matt Taylor hopes his players saw how good they can be as Town claimed a 2-1 victory over winless Burton.

Tom Bayliss fired Shrewsbury into the lead in the third minute, tapping home at the back post from a Dan Udoh cross.

The home side then doubled their lead just before half-time with Chey Dunkley heading in from a Jordan Shipley corner.

The Brewers found the back of the net for the first time this season when Mason Bennett pulled one back in the 97th minute but it proved to be a consolation.

Taylor said: “It helps when you score a goal as early as we did. I asked the players for a reaction from Saturday because we weren’t good enough.

“We were braver when we needed to be. Today was more like us and the performance from the first game of the season.

“The only disappointing thing was we conceded because the performance up to then deserved a clean sheet.

“But make no bones about how important that result is. I said to the players at half-time we had achieved nothing yet.

“I spoke to them about understanding they had to do everything they could to win the game, and they did that.

“Genuinely, I think this is huge for us as a group, for the players to understand how good they can be.

“If you had offered me two home wins in the first three matches of the season, I would have taken it.”

The search continues for Burton’s first points of the campaign after their 3-0 thumping against Derby and opening day 2-0 loss away to Blackpool.

Boss Dino Maamria said: “Yes, it is disappointing. It’s been a tough tough start, not just with the fixture list but also the amount of injuries we have had.

“We were forced to change shape and start with a different team than what we would have hoped for, but overall we conceded too early on again and then we conceded late into the half which give ourselves a mountain to climb.

“In between the goals, we played pretty well tonight, and I thought we had created a lot of chances.

“It was frustrating not to get that first goal, especially the first half, because we had some big moments.

“I think if we scored first-half and gone in at 1-1, it would have been a fair reflection on the half.

“But to go in when they scored from a corner in the last kick of the half, it was a real kick in the teeth.

“But I thought we responded well overall in the second and got the goal we deserved.”