Town’s game at Burton remains 0-0 at half-time at the Pirelli Stadium.
Boss Kieran McKenna made three changes to the team which comprehensively beat MK Dons 3-0 on Saturday.
Greg Leigh, making his first league start for the Blues, Sone Aluko and Kayden Jackson came into the starting line-up with Leif Davis and Conor Chaplin dropping to the bench and Wes Burns absent from the 18 due to a groin problem.
Town, with former right-back Stephen Ward among those watching from the stand, started with Jackson taking Burns’s right wing-back role and Aluko and Marcus Harness the number 10s behind lone out-and-out striker Freddie Lapado.
Burton made two changes from the team which drew 4-4 at Accrington on Saturday with Terry Taylor and Deji Oshilaja coming into the side for one-time Town academy youngster Calum Butcher, who dropped out of the 18, and striker Victor Adeboyejo, who was on the bench.
With rain falling steadily, there was an early scare for Town from a long throw on the right in the opening minute.
Leigh was unable to head clear and the ball reached Gassan Ahadme, whose looping effort was tipped onto the bar by Christian Walton.
The loose ball fell for Conor Shaughnessy who seemed certain to score, but the centre-half turned his ankle as he headed towards goal with Leigh helping it round the post. After treatment, the injury forced Shaughnessy off and Joe Powell took over.
Burton’s intentions were made clear early on with free-kicks given for fouls on skipper Sam Morsy, Lee Evans and Aluko in quick succession as Town sought to play out from their own half. Soon afterwards, the Blues won three corners but ultimately without home keeper Viljami Sinisalo being tested.
On 12, Aluko slipped as he turned his man inside his own half but still got away and threaded a superb pass for Ladapo to chase but the striker scuffed his shot beyond Sinisalo’s right post.
Burton’s constant pressing was making it hard for Town to play out from the back and in the 23rd minute Harness, who started his career with the Brewers played a panicky pass back towards his own area from wide on the left midway inside the Blues’ half. He only succeeded in finding Ahadme but Walton was equal to the Burton number nine’s effort.
Subsequently, Jonny Smith sent the ball back in from the right but Ahedme was unable to hit the target beyond the far post.
The home side went close again a minute later when Smith’s cross found Davis Keillor-Dunn but the former Oldham man shot wide from a tight angle.
Town had been under the cosh somewhat but in the 32nd minute, they won a corner on the right, Sinisalo punching out to Morsy, whose shot was deflected behind for another flag-kick.
On 39 Leigh sent Ladapo away down the left and the striker cut in before hitting a shot which deflected wide.
The Blues threatened again a minute later with Aluko and then Jackson both seeing efforts blocked from the edge of the area.
In the final minute of the half, George Edmundson was shown the half’s first yellow card for a foul on Keillor-Dunn with Town having again struggled to work their way out of their half under pressure. The 25-yard free-kick was laid off to sub Powell who smashed powerfully past Walton’s left post but close enough to have the keeper scrambling across his goal.
That was the last action of a half which had been tough going for the Blues, who were fortunate not to have gone in behind with Burton having had much the better of the chances.
The early opportunity in which Shaughnessy suffered his injury looked a certain goal, while Ahadme ought to have done better with the chance which was presented to him by Harness.
Town had had their moments but too often they had been forced into errors in their own half by the home side’s determined pressing which wasn’t allowing the Blues any time on the ball.
Burton: Sinisalo, Brayford (c), Borthwick-Jackson, Oshilaja, Hughes, Ahadme, Keillor-Dunn, Smith, Shaughnessy (Powell 5), Taylor, Hamer. Subs: Garratt, Powell, Onyango, Adeboyejo, Lakin, Moult, Castro.
Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Leigh, Evans, Morsy (c), Aluko, Harness, Jackson, Ladapo. Subs: Hladky, Burgess, Davis, Vincent-Young, Edwards, Chaplin, John-Jules. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).