A  VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

SKYbet Championship

24th August 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (1) 2
Crofts 28
Ulloa 72

Burnley (0) 0

Attendance: 26,007 (day's best in League)

League Position: 10th

Three of the 4 games played this season have had the outcome determined against the Albion by poor refereeing decisions. There was nearly another yesterday following the 2 missed handballs against Leeds and Derby and the revoked sending off against Newport. As half time approached a poor back header was directed towards Tom Heaton, the Burnley goalkeeper. Buckley reached the ball first and knocked it beyond Heaton with the intent of running the ball into the unguarded net. Heaton cynically brought Buckley down just outside the area.

Heaton, with shoulders down, slunk back towards his goal to await the inevitable outcome of the trip to the early bath. The stadium went silent momentarily waiting for Mr. Sheldrake to lope his way to the penalty area to adminster the appropriate punishment. The Albion players were dumb founded,

Gully welcome Burnley with an eccles cake!

the Burnley players laughed behind their hands and the natives were outraged as the ref only produced a yellow card. 

It was one of the clearest red card offences I have ever seen. Any suggestion that Buckley was going away from the goal or that a defender could have got back to protect the line was giving Heaton a undeserved benefit of the doubt. The best punishment would have been for Lopez's resulting free kick to have found the back of the net instead of just swinging wide.

With the half time whistle Sheldrake was treated to the kind of booing from the West Stand usually preserved for Andy D'Urso. But the drama was far from over.

Shorlty after half time Heaton gathered the ball in his own area. He threw the ball forward as if he was going to clear but caught it again. Sheldrake ruled this to be unsporting behaviour, issued a second yellow and Heaton departed for the early bath anyway. 

By this time the Albion were ahead and just about deserved to be on the balance of play. On 28 minutes a poor back pass allowed  Ulloa to rob Long down the left and he galloped away from the despairing defender and his pass across the penalty area was easily converted by Crofts. Like London buses you wait a year for a Crofts goal and 2 come along in successive weeks.

Prior to this Crofts had just headed over a Lopez free kick, Ulloa had scuffed his shot following a clever pass from Ince and Calderon had driven just wide from the edge of the area.

Following the sending off the Albion controlled the game and played a lot of keep ball. They bided their time and on 72 minutes Crofts and Buckley combined well down the right and the pin point centre was expertly headed into the corner of the net by Uloa for his third of the season.

This was a very solid team performance by the Albion and built on last week's success at Birmingham. Nobody let the side down and there were outstanding contributions from

Calderon, Crofts, Ince and Ulloa. Buckley appears to be regaining form. Oscar will be pleased with successive clean sheets and the only cloud on the horizon has to be the ever lengthening injury list. Yesterday Barnes and Andrews joined Orlandi, Bruno, Bridcutt, CMS and Hoskins on the crowded treatment table. 

Burnley were tidy, energetic and well organised and were very similar to Birmingham and Derby in their set up and approach. They are probably doing the best they can within the constraints of the financial fair play rules. It is a pity the rules are not being applied in the same way across the Championship so as to produce more of an even field for all teams.

I could not let this post pass without a few words about Tony Millard. For those Albion fans that go back to the days before the Internet, websites, iPads and mobile phones, Tony's Seagull Line was the only access to quick, up to date and reliable information about the Albion. I must have spent hundreds of pounds dialing the number and listening to Tony's match reports and club updates. I recall once sneaking out of work to find a phone box in the street to get the latest news on the Archer saga. I once rang the Line from a Boston, USA

Tony Millard will be missed here.

hotel room to listen a report and wish I had not once I saw the bill! I wonder if he knew what an important part he was of fans' lives. So thank you Tony, you will be greatly missed. It would be good, subject to the agreement of his family, to have a minutes applause/silence prior to the Millwall game.

MAGIC MOMENT: The passing movement between Crofts and Buckley down the right that lead to the centre and Ulloa's goal.

REFEREE WATCH: From zero to hero in the flash of a card.

MANAGER WATCH: Following the chinos and fleece, Oscar chose the Mourinho well cut suit and loose tie look. But Sean Dyche takes the award for sartorial elegance complete with flower and pocket hankie. He managed to hold the appearance together despite all the arm waving, prowling up and down and general exhibitions of frustration.

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: Lots of candidates this week but it goes to Calderon for his whole hearted commitment, non stop running and attacking intent.  It is difficult to believe he is our second choice right back.