A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"KING HENRY: "I know not if the day be ours or no;"
MOUNTJOY:  "The day is yours"

Football League Championship

17th March 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (2)3
Ulloa 42 and 49
David Lopez 45

Crystal Palace (0)0

Attendance: 28,499 (Amex record)

In the film "Shakespeare in Love" the character played by Geoffrey Rush, when asked a question, would answer "It's a mystery!" Even after watching the Albion for 55 years I am still find football something of a mystery. 

The boys in blue have the taxis ready.

The first half of this match was somewhat similar to Bolton last Saturday. The away team dominant and creating chances but the home team scores with its first on target attempt and then to rub it in scores again within 3 minutes.

Although it hurts to say so Palace were the better team for most of the first half and it will certainly be a mystery to Ian Holloway why they did not score. After some early possession play by the Seagulls, Palace began to control the game with the Albion struggling to create clear cut opportunities. Kuszczak saved well after a rare Upson mistake and then saved a more comfortable Murray header. 

The Albion were to often surrendering possession and several passes went straight into touch.

Mr. Pawson checks last season's sending off positions.

It appeared the Albion could not wait for the half time whistle so they could review their on field strategy when out of nothing Buckley broke down the right and put over a fine centre for Ulloa to bundle in at the far post with a bit of help from the woodwork.  Suddenly the Albion were lifted and surged forward, Palace looked shaken and Dikgacoi committed a clumsy foul 20 yards out for which he was booked. Orlandi and David Lopez eyed up the opportunity but it was David Lopez who curled the ball around the left hand side of wall, past Speroni's despairing flap and into the goal via the post.

In 3 minutes the Albion had gone from hanging out for a half time chat to being nearly out of sight. Perhaps it was just reward for Gus's most adventurous team selection of the season with all his offensive players (with the exception of Vicente) on the pitch and only one defensive 
 midfielder.

The East Stand on record attendance day

Holloway replaced a midfielder with an extra attacker and at that moment gave control of the game to the Albion. Bridcutt could no longer be manmarked and he and David Lopez enjoyed a degree of space denied them in the first half. The Palace's plan was to deny the Albion's passing game space and to hit on the break but when you are 2 down that goes out of the window and clearly Palace's plan B was get the ball wide and lump it towards Murray and the newly arrived Phillips. Even Wilbraham arrived to help the numbers ganging up in the penalty area for a Zaha cross.   This might have worked had Palace had any decent possession but with David Lopez and Bricutt bossing the midfield and LuaLua a constant meanace down the left Palace hardly had a look in during the second half. The Albion really are a difficult team to contain once they are ahead as they revelled in the space offered  by Palace's need to press forward.

Within minutes of the restart LuaLua broke down the left and centered to Orlandi who drove the ball into Speroni's arms. The Albion were not to be denied and on 49 minutes Buckley again broke down the right, put over a centre which Orlandi headed  back across the goal to the unmarked Ulloa who gleefully passed the ball into the back of the net. 

And likewise the North Stand

Palace huffed and puffed a bit but showed no threat with the Albion picking them off on the break. They should really have had a fourth when Ulloa broke away down the middle only for Speroni to parry his shot and likewise Buckley's follow up. 

The second half highlight was surely LuaLua giving Richards a torrid time as Kazenga teased him before pushing the ball down the wing and beating him for pace time after time. Where has he been all season?

In the closing moments Calderon joined in pushing the ball beyond defenders and beating them for pace. 

So from a shaky start the Albion grew to totally dominate the game. Ulloa looked a class act with Murray hardly making a contribution. Every Albion player did their bit and Barnes' grumpiness and El-Abd's bullying of attackers not missed at all. After settling down as a partnership Greer and Upson were kings of the penalty area. LuaLua's and Buckley's wing play could not be contained, Bridcutt was calm and controlled and David Lopez was perpetual motion. Bridge put the clamps on Zaha who grew more and more frustrated.

The Albion are beginning to make the Amex somewhat of a fortress with 5 League wins and a draw in 2013. A few weeks ago Gus said the Albion needed 6 wins to make the play offs so that means winning the remaining 4 home games and getting at least one of the road from 4 games. 

We appear to have recovered from a difficult 3 game road trip and let's hope today's victory can give us the impetus to push on to the play offs. Crystal Palace in the Wembley play off final anybody?

The unhappy bunnies from Croydon

REF WATCH: Craig Pawson's appointment was met with some aprehension by Albion fans and Gus alike given his Burnley performance last season. There were fears 2 Albion players would be in the bath before those in the corporate seats had worked out which side was which. Pawson even grinned as he was roundly booed during his pre game jog. We need not have worrried as he controlled the game rather well. He kept a lid on things but rarely did the fevered atmosphere on the terraces make its way on to the pitch which was of credit to the players. He was firm with Palace's habit of stealing a few yards at free kicks and throw ins but did indulge their constant moaning every time he gave a free kick against them. Mr. Pawson you can return!

MAGIC MOMENT: Must be the several times LuaLua put his foot on the ball inviting Richards to come and get it before he flicked it down the wing and beat him for pace. 

David Lopez and Crofts celebrate at the final whistle

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: It has to be LuaLua. He gave the team so much more up front. His hold up play gave the defenders and midfielders a breather and his constant threat stopped Richards getting forward to help in attach. He did his bit to help out the defence. On the day he made more impact than Zaha.

And finally...... no more lamenting Murray's departure as we have Ulloa to worship now.

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"But that defences.......be maintained"

Football League Championship

Bolton Wanderers (1)1
Alonso 20

Brighton and Hove Albion (0)0

Attendance: 17,599

Now which way do I go?

I have always believed one of football's unwritten laws to be "the onus is on the home team to attack".  I was wrong! I travelled all the way to Horwich Parkway in darkest, deepest Lancashire to witness a game you could see at the Amex almost any week. Bolton, the home team, defended as if their lives depended on it and Brighton, the away team, attacked almost incessantly as if playing at home.

Bolton had a not unfamiliar Championship game plan. Defend in depth, strike on the break and hope the soccer Gods smile on you. The Wanderers scored with their only shot on target and held on with the same determination shown by Ralph Richardson to the last half of the last cigar in Moscow in Dr. Zhivago.

How many times do the match stats tell us "opponents - shots on target 1; goals 1"? No doubt after the game Dougie Freedman was telling his chairman, over the prawn sandwiches and chilled white wine, "never mind the quality look at the League table". It may not be very pretty but Bolton have a plan and are making a determined late run for the play offs.

Welcome to the Reebok

Andrew Lonergan's left hand post played a significant part in the lead up to Bolton's 20th minute goal. From a Bruno lay back Crofts thumped the ball against the post. The rebound could have gone anywhere but fell kindly for the home team who were able to break away down their left. Alonso's low shot from 25 yards went through a number of legs and seemed to bounce over Kuszczak's despairing dive. Towards half time Ngog escaped El-Abd and glanced a shot over the bar but apart from some catching practice for Kuszczak in the second half that was about it as far as Bolton's attacking credentials were concerned. 

Crofts, who impressed on his return after a long layoff, nearly scored in the first half from a clever Vicente free kick. As Vicente seemed to be setting himself up to shoot he laid the  ball off to Crofts whose fierce volley forced Lonergan into the save of the game as he palmed the ball away.

The second half was mainly attack versus defence as Bolton grimly held on to what they had achieved. Despite this the Albion were unable to force Lonergan into a meaningful save as the ball flew over the cross bar and past both posts on numerous occassions.  David Lopez drove just over the bar from 20 yards just after half time, Upson headed a corner inches over the bar, another David Lopez shot went just wide and Orlandi had appeared to have scored but his shot fell just the wrong side of the post.  Bridcutt tried his luck from distance and a Vicente shot was palmed down by the goalie. It appeared that every Albion player chanced their arm but to no effect. Too often, however, attacks just seemed to peter out with the ball bouncing gently into Lonergan's arms.

Barnes fired in about half a dozen times but his shots and headers were either charged down or flew well wide. From a fine David Lopez centre in the second half he screwed the ball horribly into the away supporters.

Albion's most creative players, usually David Lopez, Buckley and Vicente were usually surrounded by 2, and sometimes 3, defenders as soon as in possession.  

The Albion attack in the 2nd half

As the game progressed Barnes cut a increasingly forlorn figure. He clearly did not take kindly to the more agricultural element of Bolton's defending but received little sympathy from the referee. This was in sharp contrast with Ulloa who played with the heart of lion and the patience of Job as he was mauled, barged and pulled over with no protection whatsoever from the ref. 

The Albion dominated possession, passed the ball from side to side, probed down both sides of the pitch, brought on all their attacking substitutes but to no avail. The Bolton central defenders were outstanding and at the mearest hint of danger thumped the ball far away. I feel sure I caught Zat Knight and Lonergan smirking as yet another Albion attack came to nothing towards the end. 

What the game exposed was the Albion's need for another reliable striker to back up Ulloa. If we are to become solely dependent on him to score defences will quickly suss this out and we can wave goodbye to any play off chances.

To have 2 of your 4 strikers out for the season with injury and a third get himself sent off in his first full game since returning from his previous suspension is careless in the extreme.

Sitting in the Reebok it was difficult to see why Barnes was sent for an early bath. My immediate reaction was here we have a ref who wanted to take centre stage by sending somebody off with seconds to go in a match where feelings were running a bit high with the one of teams on the end of a totally undeserved result. I assumed Barnes had lipped the ref once too often. He clearly was very angry and Bruno had to usher him towards the tunnel to prevent further trouble. 

Another 2nd half attack comes to nothing

It was from the wonderful world of Twitter that I learnt after the game that  Barnes had allegedly tried to trip the ref. The ref was about twice the size of Barnes and the trip was not that evident from watching the game.   However, if  Barnes did do it and the club do not appeal the sending off he deserves whatever punishment comes his way. 

If our worse fears are confirmed Gus will have to rethink his worth to the side as such a short temper is just a liability and will be played on by other sides. In the short term Gus needs to get another striker in pretty quick or our play off chances will go down the plug along with water from Barnes slightly early bath.

The result of the game was a travesty. The Albion have been mugged by Bolton for 4 points this season and Saturday's game should be referred for investigation by the Office of Fair Trading. 

In the world of soccer cliches Tuesday's game against Barnsley will be "massive". I suspect Barnsley will take their lead from Bristol City and Bolton and set themselves up as the away team for a home game. Gus needs to work out a game plan for counteracting this.

Expectant happy travellers

Victory will take us up into 5th place with our play off destiny very much in our own hands. A defeat or a draw will leave us in the mix with four or five other teams. Going into the Palace game desperate for the 3 points will give Holloway an advantage we would wish to deny him.

STAT TO PONDER: Since returning to the Championship the Albion have yet to beat a recently relegated Premiership team. Last season it was  West Ham United, Blackpool and Birmingham City. This season it has been Bolton Wanderers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Until yesterday all the games this season had ended in draws and we now only have the home game against Wolves to get that monkey off our back.

PROGRAMME WATCH: The match programme designated Liam Bridcutt as our "star man" and announced him as a striker. The research went a big astray there. It also nominated Ashley Barnes as the "one to watch". More ways than one as it turned out.

REF WATCH: Like most refs in this League tolerated the defensive rough stuff and gave Ulloa less protection than he offered the sainted Kevin Davies. Pretty fair otherwise. Sending off Barnes was the big decision and we await what happens next.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Nobody let the Albion down at the Reebok apart from Barnes and all tried their hardest to find a way through. My man of the match was Liam Bridcutt. He swept superbly in front of the defence and was the launch point for many of the second half attacks. He least of all deserved to find himself on the losing side. 

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

"Why, here he comes, swelling like a turkey cock"

Football League Championship

2nd March 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (1)4
Ulloa 20, 76, 78
David Lopez 81 pen

Huddersfield Town (1)1
Vaughan 42

Attendance: 25,831

In Canada a double double is a Tim Horton's coffee with double cream (milk to you and I) and double sugar. Across the Atlantic at the Amex it is back to back home wins delivering a double double over Burnley and Huddersfield Town.

If anybody doubted the Albion's credentials when it comes to pushing for a play off place this game dispelled them. For long periods they were quite imperious and while Huddersfield huffed and puffed the Albion played with flair and imagination.

The new seats in the north west corner receive their first guests

For their part Huddersfield turned up with a not unfamiliar game plan. Get everybody behind the ball, defend in depth, try to hit the Albion on the break, stay in the ref's ear and rough the Albion up a little.

Huddersfield won the booking count 4-0; their only victory of the day. Early on they decided to commit fouls near the half way line where the ref was unlikely to book the culprit. Vaughan had several lunges at the Pole in goal before he eventually was booked but the biggest sinner was Neil Danns who avoided the most obvious sending off I have ever seen. Danns, with leg off the ground, put his studs into Hammond's shin. To his credit Hammond did not make a fuss and that may have saved Danns. It was one of worst tackles I have seen go unpunished by a sending off. I wonder what Barnes thought given the tackle he was despatched for at Sheffield Wednesday? Inevitably it was a Danns' header across the box that lead to Huddersfield's equaliser.

Huddersfield forced a couple of corners early on but the Seagulls came more into the game with David Lopez and Hammond controlling midfield and Buckley causing havoc down the wing.

From a David Lopez corner a Buckley blaster was deflected out to Hammond who moved the ball on to Orlandi who found space for a fine cross which Ulloa headed in at the near post for the first.

Shortly aftwards a quick David Lopez free kick found Orlandi unmarked just outside the area and he lifted the ball towards the roof of the net. However, Orlandi's north end jinx continues as Smithies stuck out a hand and somehow diverted the ball wide. 

Against the run of play the visitors equalised just before half time. From a throw in conceded when an Albion corner routine broke down the ball was centred for a bit of head tennis and a rather acrobatic overhead kick from Vaughan. Huddersfield were not the first Amex visitors to score with their first on target attempt.

So that's where the cameras hide

As the second half progressed so the Albion became more dominant. 2 drives, one from David Lopez, were kicked off the line and  Barnes headed over when well placed. Orlandi shaved the post with a shot on the turn. But Spanish craft was to deliver. The Albion's first goal was made in Spain and so was the second. This time a David Lopez corner was headed powerfully past Smithies by Ulloa. Huddersfield protested the corner should not have been awarded but to no avail.

2 minutes later the visitors lost possession trying to build an attack and Calderon released Ulloa down the left. He drifted past his marker, went round Smithies and tapped the ball into the back of the net for his first hat trick in English football. At last the ghost of Murray is buried!

If the first 3 goals were Spanish affairs the fourth had a made in the UK feel about it. Barnes won possession near the half way line and was caught off the ball for his troubles. He had already played the ball forward to Mackail-Smith who was clipped from behind just inside the penalty area. David Lopez dispatched the penalty with the aplomb we have come to expect. 

So a notable day was concluded. The first time the Albion had scored 4 since returning to the Championship, the biggest win of the season, the second home and away double and a genuine hat trick was scored. The Albion finished the game with 2 double barrelled named players on pitch - now that does not happen very often. The victory was achieved without 3 of the side's most influential players - Bridge, Bridcutt and Vicente.

The Albion now face 3 daunting road trips but Bricutt will be back along with Bridge and Vicente and confidence will be sky high.

Town must have wished they had stayed on the coach

In my opinion the Albion are a much better side with Upson at the back. Apart from his obvious defensive qualities he does not indulge in the sometimes fruitless passing across and  back and across that Greer and El Abd indulge in. Instead he usually moves forward and is able to find a colleague so good is his distribution.

I thought that Dicker's substitution by Barnes does not bode well for his contract chances at season end. Sadly he gave the ball away a few times in midfield. 

REF WATCH: Made a major error in not sending Danns off. Did not crack down early enough on the visitors' persistent foul play but eventually lost patience and booked four. 

MAGIC MOMENT: The crowd chanting ola! ola! ola! when the Albion played keep ball towards the end. 

MY PERSONAL ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: For once the game sponsor got the main award right - how can you not make a hat trick hero man of the match? However, my eye caught David Lopez. He is fast becoming indispensable and not just for penalty conversions. Yesterday he was all over the field - right back, right wing, central and right side midfield as the Albion moved players around. His corner delivered the second goal, had a shot cleared off the line, set up the Orlandi chance in the first half and converted the penalty. His range of passing is quite outstanding.