A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"The man that once did sell the lion's skin while the beast lived"

Millwall (0) 1
Wood 79

Brighton and Hove Albion (1) 2
Barnes 17
El Abd 50

Attendance: 12,191

Last season I migrated with the Seagulls to Leicester City, Birmingham City, Reading and West Ham United. In those games we conceded 10, did not score and hardly mustered a shot on target. I feared I would bring my jinx to The Den but I need not have worried.

The Seagulls controlled most of this game and Millwall (and their fans) were only movitated by what they saw as an injustice when Taylor was sent off and subjected the Albion to pressure over the final 15 minutes.

Kuszczak sweepts up another attach

Up until then you could have been forgiven for thinking the Albion were the home side. We had most of the possession and controlled the game for long periods with Milllwall trying to hit us on the break. On the few occasions they found their way through the mass ranks of the Albion midfield, they were thwarted by the Pole in our goal in outstanding form.  

The Albion pressed early on but the best chance fell to Wood before Kuszczak denied him. Within minutes the Seagulls had swept up the field and following excellent wing work by Buckley, his pass across the front of the penalty area was put away by Barnes arriving late. His new haircut was obviously paying early dividends.

Millwall huffed and puffed but the better chances fell to the Albion when a Buckley shot was hooked off the line and the same player swept the ball just pass Forde's left hand post.

Mackail-Smith went to ground and a Millwall player sportingly kicked the ball into touch. CMS was substituted by Dicker with Barnes moving further forward with Orlandi in support. This period of reorganisation gave Millwall an opportunity to press and the half time whistle left most Albion fans wishing for a second goal which duely arrived just after half time. Hammond challenged for an Orlandi corner, the ball fell to Adam El Abd who thumped home one of his very rare goals.

Are the Lions at home?

It looked like game, set and match as Albion set out to kill the game with lots of possession football while Millwall just continued to huff and puff. Chances came and went with Barnes seeing a shot cleared off the line and a 20 yard bender from Orlandi going just over the bar.

On the 68th minute Andre Mariner unwittingly changed the course of the game. Taylor, who had already been booked for a lunge at Calderon appeared to lunge again at Kuszczak. The ref thought he had his studs up and off he went on a second yellow. Taylor obviously felt it was harsh and so did the crowd and the remaining Millwall players. With the crowd behind them the Lions had a go at high tempo football with deep crosses hit to the far post from left to right. Remember this was a tactic which had undone the Seagulls several times last season. Without Bruno some of the height at the back had gone and not surprisingly with Henderson on for added aerial power a long cross to the right back position was won in the air for Wood to hit home against his former employers. How ungrateful. 

Lua Lua came on to give the Millwall defence something new to think about and apart from the odd half chance and lot more hard running by Millwall the Albion saw the game out apart from an added on time save of the game as Wood was denied an equaliser by Kuszczak.

Is this the training ground?

This was an excellent team performance with everybody doing their bit and potential men of the match all over the pitch but I suspect the official award went to Kuszczak for cool command of the penalty area and an excellent save at the death.

7 games gone and we sit proudly at the top of the League. We look to have a strong squad bearing in mind Crofts and Vicente were missing yesterday and Millwall is always a hard place to get a result. Dare we dream?

My alternative man of the match: Andrea Orlandi - lots of neat touches and always prominent during long periods of possession. He hits a mean corner and was unlucky not to score.