A VIEW FROM THE WEST STAND LOWER

"Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 1
Dobbie 90

Peterborough United (0) 0

Attendance: 23,703

After a winless run stretching back to September 22nd at Millwall I had to do something to change the Albion's fortunes. Clearly the lucky t-shirt, rugby shirt and fleece were not working so time for a complete change in matchday clothing. I wore nothing blue and white apart from a scarf and it did the trick - eventually. 

My journey to the Amex starts here

To the joy of nearly everybody in the Amex Stephen Dobbie calmly chipped the ball over the Posh goalie in the second of 4 added minutes to give the Albion a much merited victory. The game was probably the most one-sided affair the Amex has witnessed and Albion could easily have scored 5 or 6 but the familiar failings of missed opportunities, bad luck and inspired goalkeeping denied them.

The bad misses came from Crofts who somehow managed to scoop the ball over the bar after Buckley had put him through with some excellent wing play early on. CMS then took on the mantle of chance misser. He had 2 similar headers in the first half from fine crosses from Bruno but the first he put straight into Olejnik's arms and second he put narrowly wide. After the break he had his worse miss when under intense pressure and the Posh defence all over the place the  ball fell to him about 12 yards out and in plenty of space but he hurriedly screwed his shot well wide. It was just not his day and soon after he was subbed.

The bad luck belonged all to Orlandi who saw a fierce low drive from 25 yards strike Olejnik's left hand post with the goalie just a spectator. The thump of the ball hitting the post could be heard in the West Stand. A fraction of an inch the other way and this would have been a goal of the season contender.

Olejnik followed a recent line of visiting goalies having their game of the season. Early in the seond half he tipped a swerving low shot from Barnes around the post and later tipped a Bridge blaster over the ball and followed this by turning aside a Buckley shot at full length. 

It was clear Darren Ferguson had watched his DVDs carefully and learnt well. His team lined up with one striker, doubled up on the wings to prevent Bruno and Bridge getting forward and three in midfield to create traffic the Albion could not pass their way through. For long periods Posh watched us pass the ball around in front of their packed defence and midfield hoping to steal a goal on the break. This time there was to be no dodgy penalty or deflected goal for the visitors instead the second half was 45 minutes plus of attack v defence. When added time arrived Gus had 5 forwards on the field. 

I change trains here

At the death all that pressure told as Barnes caused confusion in the penalty area and the ball fell to Dobbie who as calm as you like just chipped the ball over Olejnik who was in front of the East Stand celebrating before the ball rolled into the netting. 

Clearly going down so late in the evening greatly upset Ferguson who was on the receiving end of a stern lecture from a largely unocuppied ref. Apparently Ferguson felt the Albion were lucky. Teams that show little attacking intent and can hardly muster a shot on target deserve to lose and it appears the Posh chairman agrees!

Amazingly it could have easily have been 2 goals in added time as David Lopez swept a 20 yard shot inches past the post with Olejnik beaten. 

and eventually arrive here!

The Seagulls still have a problem of converting all the possession and shots into goals but perhaps we have a cure on hand. With Dobbie and Hoskins (whose name was not even in the programme squad list) on we suddenly no longer appear  soley dependent on CMS to score the goals. If Dobbie has now found his range and Hoskins fitness and form we may have attacking options that did not look to be there at 7.45pm last night.

Would anybody like to make me an offer for my unlucky Albion t-shirt, rugby shirt and fleece?

My personal alternative man of the match: Ashley Barnes - for getting stuck in and showing some much needed midfield steel when moved back after the attacking reinforcements arrived in the second half. His determination and presence late on helped create the winning goal.