Murray has something to celebrate (From The Argus)

Murray has something to celebrate

3:00pm Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

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Albion had their own Special One at Withdean last night.

Jose Mourinho’s triumphant return to Stamford Bridge dominated the football landscape but Glenn Murray also had something significant to celebrate.

The striker ended his 12-month home goal famine to put the Seagulls on the path to their biggest Withdean win of the season.

Murray’s first-half header, his 13th goal of the campaign, was supplemented in the closing stages by substitutes Adam Virgo and Nicky Forster, who slotted his 16th of the season from the penalty spot.

Gus Poyet’s side are now creeping towards mid-table comfort following only their fourth home victory, all of them against promoted teams.

The only downside were injuries to Kazenga LuaLua and his replacement, Chris Holroyd.

Remember the days – not very long ago – when the Albion line-up chopped and changed from game to game?

That is no longer the case. Poyet named the same side, in the same 4-5-1 formation, for the fourth match in succession.

Virgo had to settle for a place on the bench, at the expense of Jimmy McNulty, after serving a four-match suspension.

Brentford also have a pretty settled squad. Their only alteration was in defence, Danny Foster slotting in at right-back after Tommy Smith’s loan spell was cut short by parent club Ipswich.

Brentford have adapted well to League One after winning the League Two title last season. They have ground out results against some of the top teams in the division and have proved to be hard to beat.

The way the game started suggested it would be stubborn opponents once more. Albion enjoyed plenty of possession but found it difficult to find a way through a well-drilled defence.

The managed to find room on one occasion, a penetrating pass from skipper Andrew Crofts releasing Elliott Bennet. He tricked his way to the byline but the cross came to nothing.

The Seagulls tried to catch Brentford off guard from a free-kick 30 yards out. Bennett, rather than shooting himself, squared for Alan Navarro to unleash a low drive which was inadvertently blocked by team-mate Tommy Elphick.

Albion’s prospects of opening Brentford up were not helped by the departure of Kazenga LuaLua just 20 minutes into the contest due to injury.

The on-loan Newcastle winger had, in the time he was on, produced one of those lightening quick runs which tend to lift the Withdean faithful.

Chris Holroyd was introduced in place of LuaLua, prompting a change to 4-4-2, the substitute lending support to Murray.

The Withdean goal drought for Murray stretched to a year when he drew a blank against Swindon on Saturday.

He almost amended the barren statistic in the 24th minute with a header narrowly wide from Bennett’s right-wing cross.

Ten minutes later, the home drought for Murray was finally over. He rose in front of Wojciech Szczesny towards the near post to meet a pinpoint free-kick from Bennett with a clinical header.

The relief was tangible as, one by one, Murray was congratulated by his colleagues.

Albion were worth their advantage at the interval. Not much was seen of Brentford as an attacking threat, apart from a few corners and optimistic appeals from former Crawley striker Charlie MacDonald for a penalty as he turned away from Adam El-Abd from a long throw.

Encouragingly for the Seagulls there were signs of a developing understanding between Murray and Holroyd, the former having nodded only their 15th home goal in 18 outings.

Holroyd almost set up a second goal early in the second half. He did well to get in a cross which Bennett, not noted for his aerial prowess, headed just over the bar.

The absence of a real goal threat from the visitors was not a surprise. They arrived with the joint worst away scoring record in the division, having punctured the opposition only nine times on their travels.

It was not until the 77th minute that Brentford mustered their first attempt on target, Peter Brezovan holding a low drive from substitute Lionel Ainsworth from a counter-attack from an Albion corner.

Murray collected his ninth caution of the campaign shortly afterwards for persistent infringements after he was penalised for an aerial challenge.

Albion also lost Holroyd to injury in a frantic climax. His replacement, Nicky Forster, Marcos Painter and Elphick all had opportunities to put the game beyond Brentford.

Albion almost paid a heavy price, Brezovan pawing the ball to safety by his near post to prevent Gary Dicker heading a free-kick into his own net.

Virgo made the points safe as soon as he came on with a free header in off the post from a Dicker free-kick.

Forster secured Albion’s biggest home win of the season from the penalty spot deep into stoppage time for a handling offence by Alan Bennett.

The Brentford substitute had already been booked and was shown a red card to complete Brentford’s misery.

Albion (4-5-1): Brezovan; Calderon, El-Abd, Elphick, Painter; Bennett, Navarro (Virgo, 89), Crofts, Dicker, LuaLua (Holroyd, 20, Forster, 83); Murray. Subs not used: Walker, Hart, Carole, Hoyte.

Scorers: Murray (34), Virgo (90), Forster (90) Pen.

Yellow Cards: El-Abd 69, (foul), Murray, 79 (foul).

Red Cards: Nil.

Brentford: (4-4-2): Szczesny; Foster, Phillips (A Bennett, 46), Legge, Dickson; Wood (Ainsworth, 62), O'Connor, Digouraga, Weston; MacDonald, Strevens (Cort, 78). Subs not used: Price, Bean, Saunders, Cort, Hunt.

Scorers: Nil.

Yellow Cards: Foster (88) kicking the ball away.

Red Cards: Bennett (90) foul and (90) handball.

Referee: Mr Danny McDermid (Middlesex).

Attendance: 5,539 (371 Brentford).