FT 0-0 Really good draw, terrific defensive performance and we might have nicked it as well. Going down? Not if we play like this. Look forward to hearing from those who were there.
Great fighting performance for an unexpected (to me) point. Hope we haven't used up our ration of luck for the rest of the season. Unusual for such a closely fought match not to turn on a refereeing decision. He didn't penalise simulation but no critical controversies.
Well that was what I hoped for at the start. Sounds like a real battling performance, so a big pat on the back to the team for effort. Hopefully that should instill a bit more confidence in the run in!!
Excellent point. Just about secures safety I think. I'm worried about Wilson (is that a film?). From all reports he was invisible again. Confidence completely shot. I may have inadvertently reported Ken Shabby's post a minute ago. Didn't mean to. Sorry. On my iPhone the report button is right next to the reply button and it doesn't give second chances!
Waking up this morning was fun.. First few thoughts - as always Brighton fans were brilliant and very welcoming. I was down on Friday for the night and watched the Palace game with a few of the locals who were very good value then. Met them again before the game for a few pints in the centre of Brighton and traveled to the stadium with them. What a stadium it is! Many new stadiums seem to have the same facia but Brighton really seem to have made what I deem a ''mini Emirates''. It's good to see they have a club to be proud of, as I couldn't say I knew a massive amount about their history until talking with a few of their fans. Will be hoping to make the trip again next year if they aren't promoted. As for the game - yeah it was ''dogged'' as most news outlets seem to have labeled it, but I can't see us getting away with that many more times. I'm ever the optimist but I always felt like if they scored then the floodgates would open. We were fortunate that they had a few strikers missing. That said, we didn't conceed and the team battled throughout. There was a gulf in quality, but thats why they are battling for promotion and we are lower mid table. Stand out players were: Hamer (obviously) Solly who when was beaten on a few occasions by Lua Lua always got back and defended superbly. Jackson/Pritchard - both of whom battled brilliantly, and Jackson swung some fantastic balls in. Kermo - One of his best games of the season for me. Genuinly looked more of a threat when he had the ball at his feet. He was actually beating players and looked determined. Really deserved a goal.
One my phone going back to uni so luckly for you guys no novel from me, just hamer was superb so glad he is back, even if he is only adding an extra half a mil to his price in summer. Wasn't actually too impressed my solly for once (shock horror I know) but lua lua got far too many crosses in, they missed too many sitters, we rode our luck, stadium is nice and whoever was in the 2nd row next to me and my uncle not everyone in a red or black shirt is a f*ckin' c**t ok?
What about a red and blue stripey shirt? Great performance from the team. Thought Jackson in particular deserves praise, along with Hamer and Kermorgant, as Mary says. I don't think Solly had one of his better games yesterday and if Lua Lua had been able to put in better crosses, there could have been a lot more trouble. Ref was on our side again yesterday, along with Saturday. Thought Hughes should've been booked for a reckless tackle, and Kermorgant too for chat. Also (and it was the far side of the ground, so the ref probably had a better view) thought there was a handball in the box late on in the second half. But it felt like Hillsborough with the number of times the home fans shouted handball, so fair play to those in the away end who started shouting it for everything. While I was having breakfast, I saw a piece in the news of Brighton and Hove Albion complaining about homophobic abuse. First thing's first. 'We can see you holding hands' and 'Does your boyfriend know you're here' are not intrinsically homophobic. Any offence caused is because straight Brighton fans don't want to be called gay. Anything involving AIDS and 'You take it up the...' are homophobic. And unfortunately it was the latter sung last night (and against Bolton, randomly), much more than the former. But they could do with looking a bit closer to home while they're at it. I saw some Brighton fans call Charlton fans "spazzers" and heard them merrily sing a song that amounted to death threats against Palace fans (their hatred of Palace seems to be encouraged, cf Palace victory merchandise and some of the ads on the big screen). They're also known for singing 'You're too ugly to be gay' which objectifies away fans and makes them feel like a piece of meat (). Will the Sky cameras at last night's match looking out for homophobic abuse pick up anything about this? Probably not. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't offended by any of it, but let he who is without sin cast the first stone n all. I still hate sitting down at football, even in padded seats. Very nice ground too, and they handled the trains back to the city very well. Best of luck to Brighton in their battle for the playoffs, hope they beat Palace in the semi finals. If they do get promoted, they have a lot going for them that could make them stay up for a long time. Got treated to some tourists on the train back to London today. Passing through Croydon "Is that the Olympics?" As we reached Bermondsey "Whose stadium is that?" "I think it's Tottenham. Or maybe Aston Villa"
I wasn't there so I am not arguing, but just to remark that Steve Brown and the other commentator singled out Lua Lua as the chief danger before kick-off and complimented Solly throughout, although Lua Lua beat him for speed time and again, for always recovering sufficiently to stop him putting in "better crosses". In other words an inferior full-back might have given him time and space to compose himself and put in a better one. The other point they made is that Lua Lua can cut inside and unleash a fierce shot, and that Solly's first priority was to stop him doing that, in which he apparently succeeded
Solly was awesome. Lua Lua provided a tough challenge and he rose to it. He didn't do a lot of marauding down the wing, but then again that wasn't/isn't his primary role.
Lua Lua had about 5 decent opportunities in the first half when he had the time and space to cross or shoot, and none of them came to anything. I know if he could do it 5 times out of 5 he wouldn't be at Brighton, but 2 or 3 out of 5 would be a reasonable expectation. He was also allowed run into the box (in front of Solly) a bit too often for my liking. Could have been a successful tactic, I don't know. Thought Solly was much better in the second half, when he was in the far corner of the pitch.
As I saw it Lua Lua was a threat - everytime he got the ball (which was a lot) I always thought something was going to happen, however I thought the times he got the better of Solly, that he then recovered well and did enough to throw Lua Lua off/retreive the ball. Also agree that as the game got further in Solly grew (not literally, he's still 5 ft 3) and handled the threat better. For me he was one of the few positives to come from the game.
Nah, he didn't moan or swear at any Brighton players, just our guys and the ref, and I thought it was a good performance by us and the ref. Although as it's been said Hughes could well have been sent off
