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Brighton 7 - 5 Man City (Inc. Penalties!)
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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Brighton made up for their poor performance on Saturday with an amazing game at home against Manchester City. Fernandes Gelson scored in the 63rd minute but Glenn Murray got the equaliser two minutes before time. Brighton 1 - 1 Man City.
Joe Anyinsah scored just four minutes into extra time from 12 yeards out but couldn't quite hang onto the lead with Man City's Stephen Ireland scoring with 12 minutes to go. Brighton 2 - 2 Man City.
David Livermore scored the first penalty for Brighton, followed by Tommy Elphick, Glenn Murray and Adam Virgo. Man City's Michael Ball had his penalty saved by Kuipers, and Matthew Richards sealed the deal scoring the final penalty, and final goal of the night.
Final score, Brighton 7 - 5 Man City...
And top story on BBC Sport!
 Labels: Carling Cup, David Snowball, Man City
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McGhee Steps Down
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Posted by David Snowball
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Friday, September 08, 2006
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Albion Manager Mark McGhee who took over just under 3 years ago has today stepped down after losing the backing of the fans. Dick Knight discussed the situation with the now ex-manager yesterday afternoon and they felt this was the right decision.
Knight said "Mark understands that and has agreed to step down. A lot of people thought Mark would be leaving at the end of last season but at that time I backed him, I thought he needed the chance.
"What has happened is the fans have really got on Mark's back and that is the way it is in football, and the team needs to be rejuvenated."Labels: David Snowball, League One, News 06-07
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Bristol City report - Time for Change?
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Sunday, September 03, 2006
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An Albion team with four changes (Kuipers, El Abd, Loft, Frutos) started nervously against Bristol City on Saturday, and when Phil Jevons hit our post in the first two minutes, thoughts turned to desperation that this could be another heavy defeat like last week against Crewe. However, once we settled down, we managed to keep the ball for periods and made occasional forays into the City half although we never looked dangerous or likely to score.
It was an even match between two average teams but one small piece of clever footwork brought the only goal midway through the first half. Their No 26, Jennison Myrie-Williams, was making his debut in place of the imprisoned Steve Brooker, and he got into our area on our right. Although he had two Albion defenders around him an effort likely to get him on "Showboat" on next week's Soccer AM got him clear and he pulled the ball back to Jevons, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Kuipers but Brown put away the rebound.
This wasn't like last week's game where Henderson pushed the ball out for the forward to score, this was a fantastic save by Kuipers and just getting a hand on it was unexpected, pushing it out to the onrushing forward was just plain unlucky.
Kuipers was to show his class later in the half when a shot from the edge of the area was curling into his top left hand corner but somehow he flew across the goal and palmed the ball out. A standing ovation was never more deserved!
Albion's most incisive moves came from long diagonal balls from Joel Lynch, normally out to Frutos on the right but, once again, there was little penetration up front where Alex Revell, for all of his industry, showed that he doesn't have the class to be a target man at this level. Lynch was playing very well but was fouled late in the half and his injury forced him out of the game at half time to be replaced by Sam Rents for his debut.
The second half continued in much the same way as the first but two fine saves from their keeper kept out a long shot from Chippy and an effort when Jake (on as a sub) got free and should have done better. Doug Loft had been ineffective after a good appearance as sub against Crewe and was replaced, as was Frutos who certainly had the better game of the two wide men. Stokes was the other oncoming sub but he never got in the game and almost looked disinterested.
So, we never looked likely to score and the usual problems arose. We had occasions where lack of concentration at the back let their forwards have chances they didn't deserve. The midfield kept the ball at times but never penetrated and the forwards won little in the air and didn't get good enough service or weren't clever enough to make chances to score. Kuipers was great in goal, and if his distribution is the only reason for him not being in the team, then he had just one wayward kick but looked in charge of his area and was very unlucky to be beaten.
The crowd was disgruntled at the end and the "McGhee OUT" chants rang out from the away end. The players looked despondent but still applauded the away the support. I didn't see McGhee's reaction but reports of his post match interview suggested that he was as depressed as the rest of us.
Player Ratings
Kuipers - 8 - must start next week
Reid - 6 - usual steady game - would a start in midfield change our fortunes there?
Lynch - 7 - good game until injured apart from one error
Santos - 5 - just a big lump - doesn't impress
El Abd - 6 - did his best - better in the middle of the back four after half time
Cox - 6 - Ran around a lot without producing much - the chant of "We've got tiny Cox" raised a laugh
Carpenter - 6 - one good effort in the second half
Hammond - 5 - never got in the game
Loft - 4 - never beat their full back once
Revell - 5 - Not a target man
Frutos - 6 - Unlucky to be taken off - best of the forwards
Subs
Rents - 6 - looked nervous but did the simple things
Robinson - 6 - should have scored
Stokes - 5 - never got in the gameLabels: Bristol City, David Snowball, League One
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Crewe Disaster - Albion lose 4-1
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Sunday, August 27, 2006
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Where do you start after a match like todays? Five goals are always good to see but not when four of them end up in Wayne Henderson's net. The omens were not good as it seemed to be often pointed out that we hadn't beaten Crewe since 1969 and early signs didn't look like that would change. The Albion started out again with four at the back (Reid, Santos, Lynch & Mayo), Chippy just in from of them, Hammond and Stokes in front of him, Cox and Revell out wide and Gary Hart as the target man! Crewe won an early corner and when it came over their guy headed it over with hardly a challenge being made to him. This was a familiar pattern that we would see more of later on. Both sides tried to pass the ball about, but the Albion had little penetration and seemed to suffer from the formation as often the ball was played amongst the back four or lost in the narrowness of the midfield three. Crewe were their usual neat and tidy selves and it seemed difficult to understand why they had not won all season. However, after 40 minutes, Chippy had a shot on goal from outside the box, it was heading wide but pleasingly ended up at Dean Cox's feet and he put it away with ease and the first decent noise erupted from the Albion faithful. However, a lead at this time wasn't really justified as it the best chances had fallen to Crewe, but the next five minutes were to prove decisive. They got a free kick just outside the box and when it went straight through to Henderson he could only parry it out to their left back who put it away with ease. Soon after, and just into injury time, one of them got behind Kerry who only succeeded in bringing him down in the box, resulting in a penalty and a harsh red card from Mr Singh. The spot kick was put away with no messing and all of a sudden things were looking very bleak. With us being 2-1 down at half time, the interval talk in the toilets was that Henderson should learn to catch the ball or put it round a post rather than just push it out to any onrushing opponent. Things were to get worse for Wayne soon after a good chance for the Albion early in the second half when the ball ended up hitting the post after a good shot by Revell rebounded off their keeper and a defender. The resulting long clearance by Crewe came to Henderson but his attempted clearance only cannoned off their onrushing forward and he ran free to put the ball into an empty net. Many of the crowd were calling for Henderson's head but he made a number of fine saves during the rest of the game and certainly saved us from a much heavier defeat. A number of substitutions came about with Robinson, Loft and El Abd coming on which resulted in much switching of formations. Gary Hart started as a striker, went back to right back and then ended up as a centre forward again before finishing out wide. This final change was due to Joel Lynch moving from Centre Back to Left midfield and then to Centre Forward as he was carrying an injury and all of the subs had been used. The crowd was incensed that Alex Revell was taken off as he'd tried hard but looked tired to me by the time he came off. Doug Loft looked lively while he was on but the passing game of Crewe proved decisive by the end against our tiring ten men and a fourth goal was put away with ease. Many people left after the fourth goal but made sure that they made their views clear to Mark McGhee as they passed the dug out. For sure, the Albion were very poor today and something needs to be done if this season is to have any promise.
Ratings:
Henderson - 5 - some excellent saves but at fault for two goals
Reid - 6 - would be better used in midfield
Santos - 5 - started well but seemd to lose concentration or desire
Lynch - 6 - started well but got injured later on
Mayo - 4 - typical Kerry game of the last few seasons
Carpenter - 5 - struggling with his game
Hammond - 4 - looks lost in this formation - subbed off
Stokes - 5 - ineffective and subbed off
Cox - 7 - kept buzzing about
Hart - 6 - always kept going
Revell - 6 - surprisingly subbed but was tired and fading
Robinson - 5 - one or two good runs
Loft - 6 - injected some energy
El Abd - 5 - didn't add anything to the team
Labels: Crewe, David Snowball, League One
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Flying High 2006-2007
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Posted by David Snowball
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Sunday, July 09, 2006
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Welcome to Flying High as we head into the 2006-2007 season...
The site is currently undergoing maintenance to update it for the new season in League One. We will continue to post the latest news on the homepage and on our RSS feed.
We look forward to seeing you on the site again soon...Labels: David Snowball
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