Welcome to Flying High

A Sensational Start for Murray	Posted by David Snowball at Sunday, February 03, 2008
GLENN Murray's full debut for the Albion was nothing short of sensational - even though Dean Wilkins said afterwards that we shouldn't get carried away. But those of us there to witness it - and with a first-ever sub-5,000 Saturday Withdean crowd, there weren't many - saw for the first time since Byrne and Small a forward pairing that promises big things. Apart from his two goals, Murray's movement and ability on and off the ball was a breath of fresh air which Byrne himself, on SCR after the game, acknowledged. Nicky Forster might not have scored, but with a willing partner alongside him, suddenly looked an even better player than he has already shown this season and he certainly deserved a goal - he was blatantly fouled in the box when he fooled two defenders but the referee reckoned he'd made a meal of it. Murray's first goal was a close range lash with his left foot following a corner that ripped into the roof of the net. His second was a superb volley after a Dean Cox cross was flicked on by Forster. Credit for that goal should also go to Michel Kuipers for a quick throw out (not something he does too often) to find Matt Richards who played in Cox down the left. That third came on the stroke of half time and followed a rare Guy Butters goal when he swung his left peg at another loose ball from a corner and the ball found the net via a deflection. To be fair, this Crewe side was a long way short of some of the outfits we've come up against in recent years - they had five regular players missing - but the Albion's dominance was borne from the adversity of a difficult week in which the team captain was sold in acrimonious circumstances. There was a definite "new era" feeling about the performance and in the absence of Dean Hammond, new signing Steve Thomson certainly stepped up to the plate. He grew in stature as the game wore on and looks a good signing - just the right age and experience to complement the youngsters. Huge credit also to Adam El-Abd, who, as I suggested in my previous report, did indeed take the other central midfield vacancy - and had a storming game. Andrew Whing is obviously on a mission to get on the scoresheet: after coming close twice against Huddersfield, this time he was unlucky not to register with a spectacular overhead kick. Dean Cox was instrumental in all three Albion goals - two from corners - and if I had one criticism it would be that he would surely be more effective raiding from the right rather than the left. However, it would be churlish to be too critical after such a complete performance, so I will just say, Well done Albion! Nick Turrell February 3