A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

SkyBET Championship

21st September 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (0)3
Spearing 53 (og)
Calderon 55
Buckley 57

Bolton Wanderers (1)1
David Lopez 29 (og)

Attendance: 26,319

League Position: 10th


You see Gus, this is how it is done! The Albion have not celebrated a come-from-behind victory at the Amex since the stadium's opening day back on 6th August 2011. It was achieved with rare aplomb yesterday with a purple patch of 3 goals in 4 scintillating second half minutes. This monkey was well and truly removed from the Albion's back. Those 4 minutes saw a quality of football that must have had Oscar purring. 

In contrast the first half was a frustrating affair. The Albion started brightly and forced 2 corners in the opening 2 minutes. They found

it difficult to create chances with a succession of crosses being either over hit or under hit. A drive over the top from Ward and some adventurous play from LuaLua were all the Albion had to show for their efforts.

As the half wore on Bolton came more and more into the game with Lee producing a sprawling save from Kuszczak. They evenually took the lead on 29 minutes in bizarre circumstances. A short corner was played back to Eagles and his low cross appeared to be deflected by both Ince and then David Lopez resulting with the ball rolling agonisingly past the wrong footed Kuszczak. Clearly not what David Lopez had planned for Spanish Day!

The Albion's only response came from a well worked corner routine. David Lopez knocked the ball long to LuaLua who cut in and from the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a trade mark drive that crashed down off the underside of Bogdan's bar just the wrong side of the line.

The second half was a wholly different affair with Albion taking total control in 4 hectic minutes. On 53 minutes Spearing flattened Ward just outside the penalty area for which he was booked. Having witnessed a number of David Lopez set piece mishits in the first half LuaLua ushered him away and drove a superb cross into the penalty area. Barnes got in front of his marker as Spearing deflected the ball past the stranded Bogdan.

Perhaps a Poyet side would have sat back on their laurels but this Albion side went for the jugular. Calderon and Buckley combined down the right for Calderon

to drive his first of the season on his 150th appearance to the right of Bogdan on 55 minutes. 2 minutes later a similar move resulting with Calderon repaying the favour by releasing Buckley to cut in and drive the ball again low to Bogdan's right.

The Albion played the game out pretty comfortably. Kuszczak was forced into a few routine saves and the Albion might have added to the tally. The best chance fell to David Lopez from a superb Conway cross that he appeared to drive against the near post. Barnes, in the interest of personal safety, got his head out of the way of LuaLua cross-come-shot that flew narrowly wide.

Bruno came on for the final 10 minutes to undertake a play-where-you-feel role. He turned up at centre forward, left winger and right across the midfield.

As for Bolton they were a shadow of last season's team with mostly the same squad. They appeared drained of confidence and clearly have a walkabout defence. Storm clouds loom for Dougie Freedman.

Seagulls' fans can see how Oscar's side is coming together. This was a total team performance even though 8 potential first team regulars were missing due to injury and suspension etc. 

Every Albion player gave their all in a real team effort. Some of the team play was outstanding. They pass the ball around more quickly than in recent seasons and mix up the style of play. Apart from some set pieces it

was hard to fault them.

Now undefeated in 6 games and prospects are looking good for Oscar and his boys.

MAGIC MOMENT: LuaLua's control and drive against the underside of the bar from distance in the first half. Bogdan could only watch opened mouthed!

REF WATCH: Mr. Jones was responsible for the pass of the first half when he intercepted a cross field pass from Greer and played in Ngog who should have scored. It was good for blood pressure around the Amex that Ngog spared Mr. Jones' blushes. 

MANGER WATCH: Oscar was all sartorial elegance as usual but for Freedman it was a day of torment. The North Stand chanted about his job prospects throughout the second half. For long periods Freedman just sat in his chair no doubt reflecting on why he left Palace to take Bolton into the Premiership only to find Palace in the top league and Bolton bottom of the Championship. Soccer can be a cruel game!

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: The sponsor's award went to the great prospect Rohan Ince (who would probably not even make the bench if Andrews and Bridcutt

were available) but my award goes to LuaLua in what was probably his best all round performance since joining permanently from Newcastle. He helped out in defence when needed, was always a threat when on the ball, struck the underside of the bar and took control for the game changing free kick.

 

A VIEW FROM WEST STAND LOWER

SkyBET Championship

31st August 2013

Brighton and Hove Albion (0)1
Ulloa 89

Millwall (0)1
Woolford 51

Attendance: 26,804 (Amex high for season and highest in Championship on the day)

League Position: 13th

Millwall presented Oscar with a challenge not unknown to his predecessor. What to do about a team that sets out to defend in depth, foul often and early, delay all dead ball starts and generally frustrate the flow of the game?

It was a relfection of Millwall's plight that they are resorting to such tactics so early in the season. Their team of has-beens and never-will-bes look like relegation fodder. It has to be said the Albion looked pretty clueless about what to do in response to Millwall's tactics for an hour and it

was only the introduction of Orlandi and LuaLua that created the drive and urgency that eventually brought Brighton back in to the game.

A combination of the visitor's negativity and the Albion's inability to respond led to the worst first half seen so far at the Amex. A drive over the bar by Agustien and a header into the arms of Kuszczak were all the first half had to offer.

It got worse immediately after half time when the old Albion habit of nodding off which cost them dearly against Derby and nearly so at Birmingham reappeared. The visitors worked the ball down the pitch and a Chaplow cross found Woolford unmarked on the left and he calmly slotted the ball past Kusczcak.

For the final half hour it was mostly attack v defence. LuaLua's arrival for the patchy Lopez on 57 minutes sparked the Albion. Within a minute 2 LuaLua thunderbolts were deflected away. Orlandi became more and more influential and was providing the previously missing creativity. He drifted past a couple of defenders only to see his goal-bound shot spectacularly turned over by Forde. A Crofts' shot missed by a whisker and the Albion looked to have equalised when Ulloa headed in an Orlandi free kick. The ref saw a push not that obvious to anybody else and disallowed it.

But the Albion were not to be denied and on 89 minutes Ulloa turned in a LuaLua cross for his 4th goal of the season. In the 5 added minutes, some of which must have been for the timewasting, the Albion nearly won the game when Orlandi, this time down the right, turned and nearly bent the ball around the stranded Forde.

Millwall were eventually made to play for their negative tactics. Dunne had been booked in the first half for time wasting and on 75 minutes brought Orlandi down on the edge of the penalty area and was duly dismissed.  

So a draw in a game the Albion should have won but so nearly lost! 

The last 2 games have been progress and, at best, this was a marking time game. The Albion are much dependent on Ulloa for the goals and the loss of CMS until at least November is a big blow. This game cried out for his pace as Shittu must  be the most lumbering

centre back in the division. Lopez has yet to find last season's consistency and Buckley remains a worry - contributing little to this game. Ward and Agustein do not look 100% fit and it was interesting what Oscar had to say about player fitness after the game.

On the positive side it was good to see Orlandi back and in form immediately, LuaLua is creating more problems on the wing than Buckley at present and Andrew's last 20 minutes showed why we need him in the team from the outset. 

With the transfer window closing on Monday the Albion must be on the lookout for a striker. However, as a club that quite rightly takes the FFP rules seriously, I guess this is proving difficult.  I also wonder if Oscar is not looking for a defender as well. So far his Spanish connections have not produced a flow of players. Fans would not say no to couple of blokes from Barcelona!

MAGIC MOMENT: Orlandi drifting past a couple of challenges and producing a shot which Forde just managed to turn over the bar.

REF WATCH: Mr. Madley failed to clamp down early enough on the time wasting and persistent foul play. Disallowed a goal for a push which would have gone unoticed anywhere else on the pitch. Overall pretty inept. 

UNOTICED MOMENT: The Albion bench was clearly watching replays of the game on an iPad and the Spanish coach's frustrated flick of the hand after the Ulloa disallowed attempt was very Latin.

MANAGER WATCH: Oscar wore last week's lucky suit and maintained the Chelsea manager look. He has a shake of the head in response

to bad referring decisions a bit like a father censoring an errant son. Steve Lomas must have longed for his  West Ham academy of soccer days as he attempts to make a silk purse from a sow's ear.

ALTERNATIVE MAN OF THE MATCH: I know Ulloa gets the stadium award every week but my personal nomination is ANDREA ORLANDI. He provided the pace, penetration and creativity so desperately missing in the first half. Unlucky not to score and was behind most of what was good in the second half.