Crawley manager Francis Vines is going back to the drawing board after this latest away defeat.

He will assess who and what needs to be changed to halt the inconsistency which is beginning to plague a promising start to the season.

During the first half, Reds were over-run at the back and clueless in midfield as the home side, who had won just once previously, took a deserved lead through Andy Ducros.

It was a different story in the second half, however, as Crawley showed the kind of form which resulted in victories over fancied teams like Aldershot and Dagenham.

Vines has not got long to decide what needs to be done because Reds visit Canvey Island tomorrow.

He said: "I have to look at it and decide what needs to change before the Canvey game and I'll see what I can accomplish by then. It could be new players or the way we play.

"You cannot just say it's just an away thing because we have not performed at home. We do not start games well enough."

The first thing Crawley need to work on is keeping possession.

The great Brian Clough, father of Burton player-boss Nigel, would repeatedly say that the biggest crime in football is to lose the ball.

He would have been horrified by what he saw in the first half as Reds were forced on the defensive because they were unable to string passes together.

Burton's winner, on 29 minutes, came when Charlie Mapes, trying to play back to goalkeeper Phil Smith, inadvertently passed straight to Ducros who coolly lifted the ball over the advancing custodian.

Vines said: "We looked like a pub team in the first half. We were lacklustre and it took a few strong words at half time to get us going.

"At times we were moving the ball too slowly. If you move the ball quickly it doesn't give them a chance."

There is also a problem with the holding midfield role that has not been resolved since Robert Smith suffered a long term knee injury last season.

Nick Roddis was brought in during the summer but left without playing a competitive game.

Rob Kember started the season in the position but is out with an ankle injury so Fiston Manuella was handed his first start of the campaign.

But the former England semi-professional found the pace tough going.

He left the back four exposed in the first half and also restricted the effectiveness of Mapes.

The former Wycombe professional makes things tick for Crawley with his clever one-twos and passing. But he quickly becomes ineffective if his central midfield partner does not win possession.

Mapes was forced to search for the ball, sometimes dropping deep into his own half to take it from his defenders.

Manuella's confidence was affected by booing from home fans every time he touched the ball following the incident which led to Burton being reduced to ten men on the hour.

Laurie Wilson, son of the watching former Albion captain Danny, received a second yellow card for a late and high challenge on the ex-Farnborough midfielder.

Clough, although pleased with a win that takes his side out of the bottom three, was aggrieved with the dismissal.

He said: "The decision spoiled the game a bit because after that it was backs to the wall for us.

"I don't ask referees to get it right all the time but he let other decisions go and all I ask is for him to be consistent."

Reds had been in control leading up to the sending off and totally dominated afterwards.

They laid siege to the home goal and had two great opportunities to earn a point in the last five minutes through Charlie MacDonald and substitute Allan Tait.

Crawley's finish to the game was the best they have looked away from home this season, including the 2-1 win at Leigh RMI on the opening day.

That will give Vines some encouragement when he assesses his options today.

He said: "The positive from the game was our second-half performance. Our energy levels were high and we had some decent chances, we just lacked that bit of quality with the ball into the box."

Burton: Crane, Simpkins, Webster, Stride, Ducros (Anderson 61), Shilton, Wilson, Dudley, Ayres, Clough (Kirkwood 72), Austin. Subs not used: Talbot, Crosby, Robinson
Crawley: Smith, Judge, Palmer (Deane 75), Rees, Simpemba, Traynor, Manuella, Mapes, Davidson (Marney 62), MacDonald, Jenkins (Tait 56).

Subs not used: Little, El-Abd