Murray strike seals the points

5:05pm Saturday 23rd February 2008

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ALBION 1, OLDHAM 0

Try telling Glenn Murray that Withdean has little to recommend it.

Albion's new marksman already looks very much at home at the Seagulls' much derided abode.

Murray scored his fourth goal in four games at Withdean in the second half to secure three well deserved points and move Albion above Oldham in the chase to snatch a play-off place.

It is not just Murray who is enjoying Withdean at the moment. Albion have taken 14 points from a possible 18 in front of their own fans since losing to Nottingham Forest in December.

The crowd was below 5,000 for the fourth match in succession but much healthier turnouts are anticipated for the forthcoming visits of Leyton Orient and Gillingham.

Positive results in those will set the Seagulls up for nine matches in 29 days next month, most of them against teams at the top of the table.

Dean Wilkins made two changes to the team which came from behind to beat Cheltenham at Withdean on Tuesday.

He values the versatility of Adam El-Abd and the utility player returned from suspension not in central midfield, where he has been used recently, but in the centre of defence at the expense of Guy Butters.

Tommy Fraser replaced Kerry Mayo in the middle of the park, his first start since the eventful 1-1 draw at Oldham six weeks ago.

The visitors were unchanged following their 3-0 home victory against Yeovil last weekend.

Manager John Sheridan's options have been limited by a long injury list headed by Lee Hughes, their goalscorer in the feisty clash between the teams at Boundary Park last month.

Three of the previous four meetings between the teams finished all square and the statistical evidence pointed overwhelmingly to another low scoring affair.

Albion had other ideas and, if they had taken their chances, could have been in a commanding position inside the opening 20 minutes.

Nicky Forster had two good opportunities to end his drought, firstly when former Ipswich team-mate Dean Bowditch played him in behind the Oldham defence with an inch perfect pass.

Forster had only Mark Crossley to beat but Oldham's experienced keeper spread his sizeable frame to smother the shot for a corner.

The second opening for the Seagulls' skipper came from a Dean Cox cross, which he headed wastefully high and wide from the edge of the six yard box.

Crossley came to Oldham's rescue again when Steve Thomson found Murray inside the area. As he went down, asking for a penalty, Bowditch ran on to the loose ball to strike a low drive which Crossley pushed behind.

From the corner, taken by Cox, Andrew Whing headed down and narrowly wide and the Albion right-back also had another header from a Cox corner blocked on the line a few minutes later.

Oldham broke instantly to pose their first threat, top scorer Craig Davies holding off Fraser's challenge before firing over the bar.

It was a costly moment for the visitors in more ways than one, because Davies hurt himself in the process and the Welsh international eventually had to be replaced.

Albion were forced into a first half alteration themselves, Frenchman David Martot coming on for the injured Fraser in a straight swap in the centre of the park, a role unfamiliar to the loan signing from Le Havre during his stint with the Seagulls.

Albion had further attempts at breaking the deadlock in the opening 45 minutes.

Bowditch dipped an ambitious effort narrowly wide from 30 yards and Murray headed straight to Crossley from a free-kick by Cox. Oldham would have been furious if that had gone in, as Murray clearly pushed his marker.

The visitors, impressive away from home for much of the season, have laboured on the road lately. They arrived without a win in their previous four away games and only one goal, a penalty.

The opportunity for the stricken Davies apart, they rarely threatened in the first half although Lewis Alessandro should have done better just before half time when he headed straight at Michel Kuipers at the end of a neat move.

It was a contrasting afternoon for the goalkeepers. While Kuipers had little to do, Crossley was always in the thick of the action.

Saves from shots by Cox and Forster early in the second half were routine for the much-travelled custodian but he almost embarrassed himself when he completely miskicked from a back pass.

Crossley's level of involvement reflected a perkier performance from Albion which was a considerable improvement on their display against Cheltenham.

Crossley could do nothing when they took a deserved lead in the 61st minute. Matt Richards was the provider with a surging run through the middle from inside his own half.

The on-loan Ipswich left-back released Murray and he rounded Crossley to find the empty net from an unkind angle.

It was another accomplished finish from last month's £300,000 buy from Rochdale to add to the two goals he scored on his full debut against Crewe and his equaliser against Cheltenham.

Murray's colleagues at the back defended vigilantly when they had to, notably when Tommy Elphick preserved the lead with a saving tackle on substitute Deane Smalley as the replacement for Davies threatened to convert Alessandro's cross.

While Murray continues to thrive in front of goal, his partner Forster has not scored since mid-December. He still received a generous ovation when he went off in the closing stages, due reward for his overall contribution during his barren run.

Were you at the game? What did you think of the performance? Are you optimistic Albion can mount a play-off challenge?