Hasselbaink lauds McLaughlin

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink admitted lady luck was shining down on Burton as they ran out 4-1 winners.

Two goals ahead following efforts from Damien McCrory and Lucas Akins, the Brewers were pegged back by Kayode Odejayi before Jon McLaughlin's second-half penalty save from Max Power preserved their lead. Nasser El Khayati's clinical strike and an Adam Dugdale own goal then eased any nerves for the visitors. Hasselbaink said: "We started a little bit too arrogant, thinking that we have to do more than we have to do - taking an extra touch, an extra pass - while we didn't have to do that. "Then they come more in the game and they score a worldy. "Luckily the break came when it came and we could assess a few things but then second half we didn't start as we can. "We are a little bit lucky that Jon McLaughlin is in good form and saved the penalty. You need those moments in your year. That was the moment for us. "But the longer it went that they didn't score, I always felt that we had a chance to score a third goal. "They are a good side. They are definitely not the worst side we have played. We knew that it was going to be difficult and that they can play football." Burton went ahead on 18 minutes when McCrory smashed home and Akins' close-range finish made it two four minutes later. But Odejayi handed relegation-threatened Tranmere a lifeline before the break before Power missed the chance to draw level following a foul by Phil Edwards on Odejayi. The Brewers capitalised on that miss, leaving Rovers manager Micky Adams to rue their lack of sharp shooting in front of goal. "You can look at 4-1 and say we've been battered there but I don't think that was the case. I think they were clinical," he said. There were key moments in the game that could have altered the scoreline. "I felt the ball was out of play on the near touchline before they scored their first and then there was the penalty miss. Defining moments and we've talked about them all season. "Is that the difference between top and bottom? When they've got their chances they put them away then we need more chances than them to score. But we've certainly got to defend better here, there's no doubt about that. "That's not a game that's going to define our season. We're playing top of the table. They're clear by five points. "We had to be at our best to beat them and we weren't. We've got punished because of some slack defending."