THERE have been one or two occasions in Burton Albion's exceptional season when it has looked like they are destined to be promoted from League Two, one way or another.
The fourth minute of stoppage time in Saturday's rousing battle at home to Plymouth Argyle, when substitute Matt Paterson bundled in the game's only goal, was probably the biggest such occasion yet.
Although their closest rivals at the start of the day, Northampton Town, were losing, Cheltenham Town and Rotherham United were winning and a draw would have set Burton back.
With the game deep in stoppage time and Plymouth taking a corner, it seemed as if the Green Army would go home celebrating a hard-earned point at the very least.
Instead, substitute Adam Drury ran the ball away from the penalty area and left-back Damien McCrory emerged alongside him, taking it on and running at Argyle's regrouping defence.
McCrory just about made himself enough room for a shot, which was blocked out for a corner.
He took that himself, deep beyond the far post, where Ian Sharps headed the ball into the danger zone and Paterson was in the right place to poke it over the line, sparking huge celebrations.
Harsh on Plymouth? It certainly was but, apart from a 15-minute spell soon after half-time, they had not been the better team in an intriguing, rather than high-quality contest played in remarkably good spirit, considering what was at stake and the fact that a refereeing display bordering on eccentric from Hertfordshire official Keith Hall had wound up both sides.
For all the effort on show, chances were at a premium.
For Burton, the first half was reminiscent of Tuesday night against Wycombe Wanderers: they were on top but could find no cutting edge, although strikers Michael Symes and Billy Kee were at the heart of much of what they did.
Symes had looked well off the pace in the two games before Wycombe but, in that match and on Saturday, his control, flicks and vision were terrific and he twice set Jacques Maghoma up for runs and shots which keeper Jake Cole saved comfortably.
Robbie Weir could not keep his shot down when Kee's sweeping pass invited a dangerous cross from Alex MacDonald on the right, while Symes had a shot blocked after McCrory surged from his own half, outrunning former Burton winger Andres Gurrieri.
Plymouth had barely threatened but they began to put that right in the second half, with Jason Banton, who had a very brief loan spell with the Brewers two years ago, looking dangerous every time he got the ball.
Banton shot across goal and narrowly wide from the inside left channel after 47 minutes, then keeper Dean Lyness was forced into his first serious work, touching away a shot by Joe Bryan from the left after more good work by Banton.
At the other end, Kee headed wide after Symes won the first header from a MacDonald corner, then MacDonald shot wide after a sublime pass from Symes, who set him up after playing a one-two with Kee.
A great challenge by Lee Bell halted Reuben Reid as Plymouth threatened again but both Bell and MacDonald were booked for dissent in quick succession as Burton's frustration grew.
Symes headed the ball in after 76 minutes but the referee's whistle had blown for a push by the striker even as MacDonald delivered the ball from a free kick on the right.
Bizarrely, Bryan was booked for diving when Robbie Weir appeared to take his legs from under him after 82 minutes: both sides were already lining up for what they expected to be a Plymouth free kick.
There was a flurry of late substitutions and Plymouth's might have worked better if Paris Cowan-Hall, on for Gurrieri, had not driven a decent chance wide from 18 yards in the 88th minute.
Burton's included throwing Aaron Webster on up front for the last couple of minutes and the club's longest-serving player certainly provided a distraction when Sharps headed down that late, late corner.
It was Paterson's moment, though, and the enthusiastic striker now has seven goals for the season, three of them outright match-winners, three of them, including two of those winners, from the bench.
At the least, his latest goal has ensured the Brewers' presence in the play-offs – but it remains in their own hands to make their season better still.
