It's been a horrible week for El-Abd and Seagulls (From The Argus)

It's been a horrible week for El-Abd and Seagulls

8:30am Monday 2nd March 2009 in Sport By Brian Owen

Adam El-Abd in action against Crewe

Local boy Adam El-Abd led Albion out as skipper for the first time, then admitted he wanted to forget all about the afternoon.

The Seagulls defender was handed the arm band when Nicky Forster pulled out of Saturday’s home six-pointer against Crewe with a calf injury.

Forster’s injury in the warm-up was just part of a few horrendous days which culminated in this home humbling by the side who started the day just below Albion in the league table. The club was: Turned down by Jim Gannon and worried by injuries to Adam Hinshelwood and Colin Hawkins in midweek.

Angered when Adam Virgo's appeal against a red card was not only dismissed but also deemed frivolous.

Then forced to make further changes by injuries to Michel Kuipers and Forster before the Crewe game and Tommy Elphick, Hinshelwood and Jim McNulty during it.

How do you explain a sequence of events like that?

“Crazy,” said El-Abd. “To lose Fozzy in the warm-up is a blow, to have a penalty decision against us is unfortunate.

“Coxy went down before they scored. That could have put us 1-0 up.

“Then down the other end they get a penalty for a handball which is debatable.

“Then to see Elph and Hinsh go off and then Jim so early in the second half when you’re trying to get in the game, that’s just things conspiring against us.

“We’ve got to put that to bed now and go on to Tuesday at Bristol Rovers because I’m sure we won’t have another day like that. On top of that Crewe were putting them in from 25 yards.

“If we dwell on it we will end up depressing ourselves. We’ve got a big week coming up.

“They are two big games (at Rovers and Orient) and two games we are well capable of winning.

“We’ll roll our sleeves up and get ready for the fight because that is exactly what it’s going to be.”

There was no lack of effort on Saturday after the various injury blows and some fans seemed to appreciate that, even as the score mounted.

However, while Albion could have drawn level just after half-time, they could also have gone in at the interval more than 1-0 down.

Colin Daniel’s bad miss right on half-time ultimately did not matter.

Those near things just after the break at the Crewe end were perhaps more costly, although the visitors always looked the more assured side in possession.

Even at 11 versus 11, much-improved Crewe were the better side.

They may well have managed to go back ahead had Albion got back to 1-1.

We will never know. But home fans will argue it would have been nice to have found out.

El-Abd said: “The boys have given their all. We’re all well drilled, the boys know what they have got to do.

“But for us to go down to ten men plays right into their hands. It’s not for the lack of effort. We had a game plan but it didn’t work out for us.”

El-Abd has been handed the arm band before during games but never led his side out. So how was it?

“Not how I imagined it would go in my dreams,” he admitted with a degree of under-statement. Not one I want to remember at all.”

“It came out of the blue. Fozzy pulled up in the warm-up. It happens.

“We weren’t expecting him to get injured. Dean (White) gave me the arm band, that’s it. It makes no odds to me who has got the arm band. We need 11 captains out there.”