A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"We are but warriors for the working day"

Brighton and Hove Albion (0) 2
LuaLua 61
David (pen) 88

Millwall (1) 2
Wood 25 and 57

Attendance:  24,773

What happens when organisation, brawn and cunning meet style, flair and unpredictability? Well, of course, you end up with a drawn match. If Millwall and Brighton each had a bit of what the other possessed then each team would be real challengers in the Championship. The Albion would have greatly benefited from the power and strength of Liam Trotter and Chris Wood and likewise Millwall would have been improved by what LuaLua and David brought to the game.

We must give credit to Kenny Jackett for he has made much of limited resources at Millwall. They have made no big name signings but he has created a successful combination of organisation, power, running and no little cunning. Perhaps predictably they ran out of steam as Albion swarmed all over them in the last quarter.

Some in the crowd must have wondered if Millwall have added a priest to their match day squad to administer the last rites! By some strange coincidence nearly every time the Albion went close or began building up pressure a Millwall player crashed to the ground as if the target of a sniper lurking in the Amex superstructure. As the player lay motionless the ref had to stop the game with the ball half a pitch away forcing the poor soul to sprint across the turf to inspect for any remaining signs of life before signalling on either the trainer or the priest. This happened several times much to the annoyance of the home crowd. Dare I suggest this was a ploy to break up play, irritate the opposition and frustrate the crowd? Surely not Kenny!

This was definitely a game of 2 halves or more likely three-quarters and a quarter! The Albion were all over the place for most of the first half. Gus seems unable to resist the temptation to fiddle with team selection before every match. His task was not helped by having injuries to three of his four full backs forcing El-Abd out wide with Dunk returning to the centre. We had three holding midfielders plus David leaving CMS more or less on his own up front with Buckley drifting from wing to wing trying to get into the game. The players could not work it out with the consequence that the ball being given away and a total lack of cohesion was apparent.

It came as no surprise when the much more lively Millwall team took the lead through Chris Wood midway through the half when he expertly turned a cross into the far corner. This was after Trotter had been left totally unmarked in the penalty area early on only to head over the bar. It was an action replay of the Hoskins' miss at the same end against Nottingham Forest.

The Albion were creating the occasional chance and Greer was unlucky when he got his head to a David free kick only to see the ball bounce down off the bar. This incident lead to Danny Shittu having a near death experience as he lay prostrate on the ground. Fortunately for all he made a miraculous recovery as soon as he spied the white line. Shortly afterwards he had a recurrence but when the ref pointed out he was already lying off the pitch if he needed attention he again recovered with great speed and was in position for the following corner. 

To his credit Gus could see things were not working for his team. Apart from injuries he rarely makes substitutions in the first half but he took the bold step of withdrawing Dunk who had done little wrong and bringing on LuaLua, moving David to right back. The Albion reverted to a much more familiar 4-3-3 from a confusing 3-5-2 (or something like that!)

This galvanised the Seagulls as LuaLua went on to have his best game this season (and perhaps last) and David shone down the right as he rampaged forward with no winger to worry about marking.

As soon as LuaLua appeared he ran Millwalll ragged down the left and put a perfect cross on a plate for CMS who contrived to shot and clear the ball at the same time.  His left foot shot appeared to be going in only to bounce out of play off his standing right leg! 

Chris Wood was a total handful for Greer and El-Abd and added a spectacular second as the hour approached. CMS, who was not having the best of games, came deep to collect the ball only to give it away on the edge of the penalty area leaving Wood to smash a wonder goal in from some 25 yards. 3 Kuszczaks would not have got a hand to it.

As it is the season of goodwill I will not mention that 2 of our League 1 winning strikers (Murray and Wood) and have now scored 5 against us this season.

To their credit the Albion did not collapse and fought back immediately via a spectacular goal of their own from LuaLua. He picked the ball up some 20 yards out and within a flash it was in Forde's net.

Scenting they could get something out of the game as Millwall tired and the visitors' bookings mounted the Albion swarmed forward. LuaLua drove another pile driver just over the bar and David was desperately unlucky when a fine curling 25 yard free kick thumped against Forde's left hand post with the goalie a spectator. The Albion thought they had scored as Greer and El-Abd headers were hacked off the line in quick succession. 

CMS made amends for his wayward evening winning a penalty when he was bundled over by a clumsy challenge in the penalty area. For a few dreadful seconds I thought Barnes (who had come on a substitute) had picked the ball up but soon realised that it was in the reassuring arms of David Lopez. He proceeded to give Barnes and CMS a masterclass on how to convert a penalty.

As the game went into added time only one team was likely to win with the final chance falling to Barnes but he found Forde's arms from 20 yards. 

In the end a draw was a fair result on the balance of play with the Albion struggling to cope with the physical presence of many of the Millwall players and, in turn, the visitors being unable to contain the unpredictability and class of LuaLua and David. 

Millwall's prospects in the second half of the season depend on whether they can secure Wood permanently and the Albion's on whether they can find a way to convert the mountain of the chances they create in most games into goals. 

My Personal Alternative Man of the Match: DAVID LOPEZ LuaLua won the Stadium award but Lopez had his best game for the Seagulls. Moving him to right back was inspired as he became a growing influence on the game and was desperately unlucky to see a free kick strike the woodwork.