Forwards rescue leaky Albion

THEY say you need a bit of luck in the Cup.

Albion might just have used most of theirs up in one foul swoop to see off plucky opponents from the Blue Square premier.

Gifted the lead twice, they made very heavy weather of only their fourth win in 11 matches at Withdean, two of them under Gus Poyet in the FA Cup.

It was job done for Poyet. He made five changes to take account of the hectic league schedule and managed to get the right result, just.

Gavin Hoyte, Adam Virgo, Alan Navarro and Kevin McLeod – all starting a match for the first time under the Uruguayan – did not enhance their prospects of forcing their way back into the team.

Poyet must have the December 19 trip to Swindon circled on his calendar and not only because it is one of his former clubs.

He will have eight days to prepare for the visit to the County Ground, time enough at last to dissect the defensive problems which continue to undermine Albion’s campaign.

Weather permitting that is. A combination of relentless rain and matches has made it difficult so far for Poyet and his Argentine assistant Mauricio Taricco to get much effective work done on a training ground which Albion do not own and therefore cannot control.

Nicky Forster, back from tweaking a knee, eloquently explained the difficulties created by the make-do facilities at Falmer in his column in The Argus on Saturday.

Thank goodness Poyet can depend on the club captain, a rejuvenated Glenn Murray and match-winner Liam Dickinson for a steady flow of goals.

They have contributed 22 between them and are ensuring Albion have a chance of picking up results, even while they are leaking at such an alarming rate.

The Seagulls are letting in, on average, three per game now after going 180 minutes without conceding in open play at the beginning of Poyet’s reign.

The returns from injury of Michel Kuipers and Jim McNulty cannot come quickly enough.

The 26 goals which have gone past Graeme Smith in the equivalent of eight full appearances paint a harsh picture of the Scotsman but he lacks the presence and authority of Kuipers.

The defence will also be better balanced with the naturally left-footed and attack-minded McNulty in it.

The game was a personal triumph for Dickinson. Poyet’s third-choice striker seized his opportunity in the absence of Murray, who was suspended but probably would have been rested anyway.

Dickinson’s early opener was the 50th goal of his career. The late winner meant it was the first time he has scored twice in a game since single-handedly beating tomorrow night’s visitors Charlton a year ago, while on loan to Blackpool in the Championship from Derby.

His first, three minutes in, was a very early Christmas present from Rushden keeper Nathan Abbey and captain Jamie Stuart.

They got themselves in a horrible muddle dealing with a harmless cross from Adam El-Abd. The lurking Forster set up Dickinson, who slotted in tidily from the edge of the area.

The lead did not last long. Hoyte, rusty after his three-match suspension, was outwitted too comfortably by the lively Lee Tomlin and he found the net with an angled drive under Smith.

Forster fired straight at Abbey when clean through but swiftly made amends by winning an undisputed penalty, which he converted for his 11th of the season, after he had been nudged over in the box by Curtis Osano.

With Tomlin posing problems to Hoyte down Albion’s right, the on-loan Arsenal teenager and El-Abd switched positions.

The move rebounded as, five minutes from the break, Aaron O’Connor cut in from the left flank all too comfortably past El-Abd and Virgo to drag Rushden level again with a right-foot drive into the far corner.

The second half was almost a non-event in terms of chances for either side and a replay beckoned when Dickinson pounced with four minutes remaining, just as Craig Davies was about to be sent on at his expense.

Dickinson started the danger by releasing Forster through the inside left channel. His partner was crowded out as he cut back inside but the ball ran kindly for the onrushing former Stockport giant to send Albion through to round three.

In the cold light of day that is the only thing that really mattered, although Rushden are entitled to feel they deserved a second chance.

They looked the more likely winners after the break until Gary Dicker came on to improve a malfunctioning midfield.

They also had the misfortune in the first half to lose both Neil Cousins to a serious-looking knee injury and his groggy replacement Matt Pattison to a suspected broken nose.

As Justin Edinburgh, the Rushden manager and ex-Tottenham team-mate of Taricco remarked: “The two front boys were the difference.”

The Forster-Dickinson partnership will be broken up by Murray tomorrow night but the concerns are at the other end of the pitch.

Albion will need to defend like they did against Southampton, not as they did against Leeds or Norwich, to topple the remaining member of League One’s ‘big four’.

Albion (4-4-2): Smith; Hoyte, Virgo, Elphick, El-Abd; Bennett, Navarro (Dicker 60), Crofts, McLeod (Hart 51); Dickinson, Forster.

Subs not used: Wright, Cox, Tunnicliffe, C. Davies, Pelling.

Goals: Dickinson (3) and (86), Forster (22) pen.

Red cards: None.

Yellow card: El-Abd (49) foul.

Rushden (4-4-2): Abbey; Downer, Osano, Stuart, Robinson; Cousins (Pattison 9) (Akurang 45), Byrne, Porter, Tomlin; O'Connor (McNamara 79), Farrell.

Subs not used: Roberts, Corcoran, Smith, Ainsley.

Goals: Tomlin (14), O'Connor (40).

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: Porter (4) foul, Osano (21) foul, Stuart (45) foul.