Match reports 2007/2008
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FRINGE OFFERS |
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FOOD ON FRIDAY |
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DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK |
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| | WHAT'S ON | | | | |
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Albion blow their chance to impress
Albion did not just blow a gaping hole in their promotion challenge with an abject 3-2 defeat at home to Port Vale.
They also missed out on a golden opportunity to impress a new audience.
Price reductions in parts of the ground attracted, by some distance, the second highest crowd of the season to Withdean for the clash against doomed Vale.
Just 123 made the journey from the Potteries to see their rejuvenated side stave off relegation for another week.
Although the overall attendance was comfortably eclipsed by the visit of Leeds in October there were almost as many Albion fans on Saturday as there were for that autumn fixture with the big crowd-pullers of League One.
Some seats were slashed to £13, replicating rates for the 1983 FA Cup final. Many of the heroes of both 25 years ago and 50 years ago, when the Seagulls won their first championship, were in the north stand.
It was a one-off gesture by the club following the celebration dinner in their honour the night before.
None of them will be rushing back after witnessing such a shocking performance but, with all due respect to them, that does not matter.
What does is that the mums, dads and children in the well-populated family stand and occasional supporters will not be hurrying either to buy tickets for Hartlepool's visit a week on Saturday.
Albion have deliberately targeted the child, youth and student markets in next season's ticket pricing strategy after losing a generation of followers since the disappearance of the Goldstone.
The importance of expanding the fan base ahead of the costly move to Falmer cannot be emphasised enough.
The hoped-for average attendance at the new stadium has risen from 12,000 to 14,000. That is an awful lot of extra supporters to find.
Attending football matches, a bit like winning or losing them, is a habit. Too many people have got out of the habit of watching Albion and have long since found other ways to occupy their lesiure time.
Word, it seems, had got around that Dean Wilkins' in-form side were worth a look, probably not a second look though after such a let down.
Was it stage fright? Surely not after defending so commendably in front of much bigger gates at Nottingham Forest and Leeds.
Complacency? Probably. How else do you explain that a team which had gone almost four and a half hours without conceding a goal let in two in the opening 19 minutes against the side at the foot of the table and missing their injured top scorer?
Andrew Whing insisted: "I don't think we were taking them lightly at all - I just don't think we were at the races at any stage of the game.
"It was bitterly disappointing after the way we had played in the last few games. Port Vale played us off the park and it could have been more. No excuses from us, we just didn't turn up.
"I don't think you can solely blame the defence. I was a part of it and I didn't play well personally but we didn't defend or attack as a team."
Wilkins called it "possibly our worst performance of the season." No possibly about it, this was even worse than the Mansfield debacle in the FA Cup.
It could have been a landslide. Apart from the goals Vale scored, midfielder Danny Whitaker was incredibly denied by the woodwork three times in quick succession in the second half.
Tommy Elphick also headed against his own crossbar and I counted six other good chances for Vale, not to mention a couple of decent saves by Michel Kuipers as well.
Albion's lethargy was punished in the 12th minute when Marc Richards converted Whitaker's cross at the far post at the second attempt after scuffing his initial effort.
The former Barnsley centre forward doubled the advantage seven minutes later, bursting through to prod past Kuipers.
The only redeeming feature of the first half was Dean Cox halving the arrears with a well-taken first goal since November - and Albion's first in open play for seven hours - from Glenn Murray's flick-on.
Steve Foster must have winced at the Seagulls' defending while Cox spurned a much better chance than Gordon Smith's miss' against Manchester United at Wembley a quarter of a century ago.
Released by Murray early in the second half, he slotted the wrong side of the post with keeper Joe Anyon already diving the wrong way.
The outstanding Whitaker put the rampant visitors 3-1 up in the closing stages with a goal worthy of winning any game, a swivelling volley from 30 yards which dipped over Kuipers.
There was still time for Murray to head in a cross from Cox and another from Kerry Mayo, which referee Paul Armstrong disallowed for pushing. The Albion players did not complain - they were probably too embarrassed.
Whing said: "Luckily enough we have got the Southend game tomorrow, which we are looking forward to now to get this game out of our system.
"We need to start winning. Teams around us are going to drop points at some stage and we have got to capitalise.
"There are five matches now and we have got to think of winning every single one if we can. We are more than capable of doing that. This was a one-off and I am sure tomorrow it will be a totally different matter."
Have Albion blown their chance of reaching the play-offs?
4:36pm Sunday 6th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Richard, Maidstone on 8:25pm Sun 6 Apr 08
Yes! What were the team doing on Friday night?
Yes! What were the team doing on Friday night?
Posted by: Pete, Brighton on 10:00pm Sun 6 Apr 08
What was Wilkins thinking giveing them almost a week off work just 4 weeks before the end of the season.You could see they was not in shape.Murray could'nt get out of walking pace.You would think the club would have had there big night out after such a game.
What was Wilkins thinking giveing them almost a week off work just 4 weeks before the end of the season.You could see they was not in shape.Murray could'nt get out of walking pace.You would think the club would have had there big night out after such a game.
Posted by: josh, hastings on 10:24pm Sun 6 Apr 08
they stated catorgorically on the radio after the game that none of the players or coaching staff attended the dinner on friday night.
they stated catorgorically on the radio after the game that none of the players or coaching staff attended the dinner on friday night.
Posted by: Mr Meaker, Rentaghost on 9:46am Mon 7 Apr 08
[quote][bold]josh[/bold] wrote:
they stated catorgorically on the radio after the game that none of the players or coaching staff attended the dinner on friday night.[/quote] Unfortunately it seems none of them attended the match on Saturday afternoon either.
josh wrote:
they stated catorgorically on the radio after the game that none of the players or coaching staff attended the dinner on friday night.
Unfortunately it seems none of them attended the match on Saturday afternoon either.
Posted by: mark, brighton on 10:26am Mon 7 Apr 08
we are not ggod enough yet, look at bench it hardly has amatch winner!! hope sullivan gets achance this season , i think we will draw on tues,
we are not ggod enough yet, look at bench it hardly has amatch winner!! hope sullivan gets achance this season , i think we will draw on tues,
Posted by: mnairb, Hove on 11:19am Mon 7 Apr 08
I should forget about the playoffs for this season - the team are quite obviously not up to being promoted and will only result in an embarassingly quick return if they are. Maybe next year - if they can show more consistency.
I should forget about the playoffs for this season - the team are quite obviously not up to being promoted and will only result in an embarassingly quick return if they are. Maybe next year - if they can show more consistency.
Posted by: Julian Jnkins, Portslade on 12:35pm Mon 7 Apr 08
They lost the game deliberatly because they have not got the ground yet. Championship level at withdean has been tried twice before. Please not again. Two more years please be patient.
They lost the game deliberatly because they have not got the ground yet. Championship level at withdean has been tried twice before. Please not again. Two more years please be patient.
Posted by: never wrong dave, Brighton on 2:26pm Mon 7 Apr 08
[quote][bold]Julian Jnkins[/bold] wrote:
They lost the game deliberatly because they have not got the ground yet. Championship level at withdean has been tried twice before. Please not again. Two more years please be patient.[/quote] I think you maybe right Julian.As they are selling the team top at almost half price at the club shop.They would have been full price at Wembley.Now Mr,knight can i have my money back please,that game was crap.As to young lads said to their dad please don't make me come and watch this crap again.
Julian Jnkins wrote:
They lost the game deliberatly because they have not got the ground yet. Championship level at withdean has been tried twice before. Please not again. Two more years please be patient.
I think you maybe right Julian.As they are selling the team top at almost half price at the club shop.They would have been full price at Wembley.Now Mr,knight can i have my money back please,that game was crap.As to young lads said to their dad please don't make me come and watch this crap again.
Posted by: Twinkle Toes, Sunny Hove on 8:49am Tue 8 Apr 08
The game was crap, but it's a good job us commited fans will continue to go. If we didn't, young lads & the 'I'll only go if it's cheaper' mob wouldn't have a local league team to watch at all! I can see where you're coming from though - & at least Vale played some great football..
The game was crap, but it's a good job us commited fans will continue to go. If we didn't, young lads & the 'I'll only go if it's cheaper' mob wouldn't have a local league team to watch at all! I can see where you're coming from though - & at least Vale played some great football..
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