Its difficult to do much of a match report from the Withdean.
Basically from between the Pole Vault run up and the shot-put circle you
really cant get a good perspective on the pitch the other side of the running
track. I actually feel a bit sorry for Brighton, they used to have a decent
support in the old ground (remember the 2-2 in the 89-90 promotion season)
but now they are marooned in a dump, which you wonder how it gets a licence to
host league football.
Surreally we started with a minutes applause for Frankie Howard.
Wed all agreed that we all thought hed been dead for year, when they
announced he was actually an ex-Brighton player. Expected team with Douglas
back from international duty to replace the injured (again) Thompson.
First half was woeful. I can remember a header over from Beckford
and thats about it. Neither team seemed to be able to or want to keep the
ball and it was largely hoofed from one end to another hoping that a mistake
would lead to a goal. Douglas was particularly culpable, often dropping back
to take the ball off the back four and hitting an aimless ball forward that
Matt Heath (or even Ted Heath) could have managed quite well on their own. No
passing, no movement, no entertainment. The only real moment of interest came
when Hughes went down injured and our players were incensed with the challenge
(that no-one at our end saw). Health whacking the ball out of the ground to
run 40 yards to join in the melee. End result a booking each (Marques for us).
Hughes went off soon after to be replaced by Douglas.
We even lacked the fighting ballboys from last time and so had to
content ourselves with chanting Your not fit to collect the ball as one
vainly chased a ball round the athletics track. The combination of sh*t ground
and crap performance meant that the Leeds end was pretty muted with little
real noise or support.
Second half we managed a bit more possession, which only really
served to illustrate we had no idea what to do with the ball. Occasionally
making nice little triangles in midfield but then with a bit of space to work
with, passing it back to the centre-backs. We still made 2 decent chances for
Beckford who headed over from Claphams cross and then made a right mess of
another header after a great cross field pass from Prutton, he then decided to
play injured despite the fact no-one was near him.
Casper had a couple of routine saves to make and the game had nil
nil written all over it til we found the mistake to change the game. Prutton
did well to chase the ball down in the corner and hold it up long enough to
lay back to the on-rushing Richardson. With the crowd screaming at him to hit
it first time, he took a touch and then hit it along the floor to the first
defender. Who luckily took a swipe which looped it over his own keepers head
(the keeper was only about 5 6) who could only palm it out to give Kandol a
tap in. We celebrated with a chant of Sh*t ground, Sh*t goal and Kandol
celebrated the fact he hadn't been subbed - De Vries was waiting to replace him.
Despite the ref finding 4 minutes of injury time we held on
relatively comfortably, so three more points from a dreadful game. Our luck
has really turned this season. Astonishingly the Brighton fans afterwards
thought it was a decent game and theyd played quite well, which only goes to
show how dreadful the league is. We are really a pretty average team, solid at
the back, functional in midfield and with the occasional bit of quality up
front. It seems likely that might be enough.
A final round of applause for Southern railways and Sussex police.
For the third time in three visits, they managed to have engineering works on
for their biggest game of the season, which meant a tortuous bus service
through villages wed never heard of (Does Hassocks really exist or were they
playing a joke on us). After the game they completely failed to have enough
buses for everyone and we spent an hour being sent backwards and forwards by
the Police til the bus turned up at the point wed been waiting at
originally. I actually got back to North London at roughly the same time I get
back from Leeds. Still at least the local chavs on the backseat of the bus got
a bit of a shock when it got invaded by Leeds fans.
Scores
Casper 6 Did what he needed to do, comfortably enough.
Richardson 6 Defensively Ok, rarely ventured forward.
Clapham 7 Not troubled in defence and one of the few who looked like
he knew what colour his team were playing in.
Marques 7 Class act as ever.
Heath 6 Did the big lump thing within his normal limitations.
Carole 5 Anonymous, give him a chance on the right.
Douglas 4 I actually dont mind Douglas but he had a shocker when in
possession yesterday.
Hughes 5 Went off injured without really registering in my brain
Prutton 8 Best player on pitch only one who seemed to have woken up.
Kandol 5 Back to Kandol of old Why give a new contract to someone
after 6 half-decent games
Beckford 6 Not much better, looks more dangerous but also petulant,
cocky side emerging.
Westlake 6 Solid enough though made to attempts at worst dive of
season competition. Amazingly got a free-kick both times.
It would be nice to think we wont have to go to the Withdean ever
again.
Matt
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6 in a bloody row!
