A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"For now sits expectation in the air"

12th January 2013

Football League Championship

Brighton and Hove Albion (2) 2
Barnes 2
Orlandi 25

Derby County (0) 1
Hendrick 70

In many ways this game summed up the first part of Albion's season. We totally dominated the first half and at times our play was exquisite. The team crafted two outstanding goals that were clinically finished. In the first 20 minutes of the second we created more opportunities to score than in the whole of the first and failed to convert. Derby scrambled a goal which led to a nervy last 15 minutes as Albion held on in a game in which they should have been 3 or 4 goals clear. 

Let's play "The Spot Vicente" game

The first half was played in appalling conditions as the rain poured down and the cold wind from the east blew. I just hope somebody assured the prospective striker sitting in the Director's Box that the weather in Sussex is usually better than this!

The Seagulls got off to a dream start with a goal after just 2 minutes made in Spain and finished in England. Calderon and David Lopez created space for a centre from the right which Barnes swept in from close range for his first Amex goal since September. The Albion then played the ball around with supreme confidence with Derby hardly able to get a touch until the 25th  minute when the second richly deserved goal arrived. This time it was made and finished in Spain. Again Calderon and David Lopez combined down the right and from the centre Orlandi got in front on his marker to power a header into the roof of the net. 

Orlandi clearly likes the south end goal as that is his third strike and second goal in two games.

The Albion started the second half with clear intent to add more goals but the old bugbear of failing to finish returned. Derby pressed up and often just played three at the back playing into Albion's hands on the break.

Chances came and went with Buckley, Barnes, Calderon and Orlandi missing opportunities to bury the visitors. Buckley got away down the left but with only Legzdins to beat drove the ball into the goalie's legs. He got away again in similar circumstances and played the ball across to  Barnes but a defender deflected it away for a corner. Barnes got completely clear of the defence but instead of laying the ball off, turned into the mass of retreating Derby defenders, was bundled off the ball and beat the turf with frustration. Orlandi found Calderon in space from a well struck corner but the defender did not connect properly and the ball flew over the bar. The best opportunity fell to Orlandi who saw Legzdins pulll off a fine save from close range, the rebound fell to him and he tapped the ball towards the welcoming goal line only to see Keogh come from nowhere to sweep the ball away.

With the Albion failing to finish Derby off with a third the visitors saw a chance to get back into the game and a goal duly arrived in the 70th minute when from a Ward free kick struck low into the penalty area Hendrick deflected the ball home. Derby then huffed and puffed with the able assistance of a referee who gave them plenty of dubious free kicks but the nearest they came to scoring was when a deflected header from El-Abd was grabbed under the bar by the ever reassuring Kuszcak.

The Albion hung on comfortably enough for 4 added minutes which grew into 6 for reasons only known to the ref.

A side show at the game was the hapless performance by the officials. Mr. Williamson seemed to be convinced that the Albion were a team of divers while at the same time chopping Derby players down all over the pitch. The free kick from which Derby scored looked dubious but the best comic capers came just after when Orlandi gave away a very soft free kick out on Derby's right wing. It hardly warranted the description foul although technically it was. The linesman waved his flag as if he had just witnessed a mugging and Mr. W sprinted over and booked Orlandi. For this the ref was treated to deserved rousing chorus of "you don't know what you're doing!"

However, LuaLua was clearly balked when going clear but the ref waved away protests.

Mr. W was very excitable, stopped play when he should not and allowed it to run when he should have stopped it. He gave free kicks that were not and ignored incidents that were. He constantly told players to take throw ins from the right spot but they just ignored him and encroached up the field. Some players knew he was weak and tried to take full advantage.

The Mrs. meets Sally Gully

The fourth official could only see the need for 4 added minutes after 45 minutes play. In those 4 the ref found the need to add 2 more. Bridge was booked in the 6th added minute. Some fans saw a parallel with the Bolton game with a ref applying the "play until the visitors score" rule. 

In the end it turned out all right for the Albion and expectation of a play off place is clearly back on. This was our first home win this season against a top 10 team. We created plenty of chances in open play with David Lopez's passing skills behind many of the better moves. The prospect of Ulloa arriving from Spain to add some cutting edge to the attack and Vicente on the bench bodes well for the coming months.

MY PERSONAL ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: Ashley Barnes. Ash gets this for his display over the first hour in the lone striker role. Scoring so early on clearly gave him confidence and he brought the ball down well and played colleagues into space. He survived quite a battering from the Derby defence and gave as good as he got. He was unlucky not to add a second early in the second half.