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Slade lifts the Withdean gloom: Brighton 5 - 0 Yeovil
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Sunday, March 15, 2009
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Division One safety may still be Far Far Away but Mama Weer All Crazee Now after Slade began to lift the gloom around the Withdean.
Big, bright and bubbly Russell Slade has injected a new energy into the sagging Seagulls and against his old club Yeovil it all suddenly came good.
The resurgent Dean Cox had by far, far and away his best game of the season as he scored twice and had a hand in the other goals as rampant Brighton blitzed dismal Yeovil 5-0. It should have been that even more clinical-sounding 6-0 if only substitute Craig Davies hadn't blazed over a glorious chance at the death.
Returning skipper Nicky Forster also plundered two goals and left the arena with the score 3-0 to a highly-deserved standing ovation.
But even though sponsors' man-of-the-match Cox and Forster took the glory, it was a good all round team effort and mention should also be made of Dave Livermore's sound contribution at left back and Jason Jarrett's performance in midfield - in particular for his pass that set up the opening goal for Cox.
Lloyd Owusu also worked his socks off and deserved a goal for his battling display against his former team-mates.
Apparently he was well narked that substitute Glenn Murray grabbed the ball to take the penalty which made it 4-0 because he rather fancied scoring against his old club.
After two thirds of the season in which Albion's front two have either been out injured or under no competitive pressure in terms of their places, with the arrival of Owusu and Davies there is now genuine healthy competition which can only serve the club well in what is a difficult run-in.
Murray, back after a long absence through injury, looked lively during his brief run-out and might have added to the penalty, given when Yeovil player-boss Terry Skiverton handled a Cox cross.
Albion will be hoping this major-confidence booster will augur well for Tuesday's visit to the Bescot Stadium where Walsall astonishingly collapsed 0-5 to Bristol Rovers.
Nick TurrellLabels: League One, Nick Turrell, Yeovil
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Yeovil Report: "It Can Only Get Better!"
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Thursday, December 28, 2006
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Yeovil became the first side to 'do the double' over the seagulls this season, when they inflicted the Albion's second defeat in a week and bought to an end their recent improvement in front of the home supporters.
To be fair, the seagulls played reasonably well and the score line was perhaps a little harsh - it was by no means Blackpool-esque - but the solidarity of the side was weak and the defending was poor. The loss of Dean Hammond, through illness, ripped the spine out of the side and his marauding box - to - box midfield leadership was sorely missed. Richard Carpenter was asked to play in the Hammond role, but lacks the engine to get from one end of the pitch to the other. To be fair however Chippy wasn't assisted by his fellow midfielders, Fraser and El-Abd both having indifferent performances.
Fraser started the game brightly but when it came to crucial moments in the opposition penalty area he seemed to freeze and often made the wrong decision as to whether pass or shoot. To be fair to Tommy though he has performed very well in his debut season and has racked up a lot of appearances and is perhaps ready for a break - and to be replaced by the more natural wide player Alistair John who needs to be given a fair crack of the whip. El-Abd, as always, put in some thunderous tackles but was shown up by his lack of passing ability and attacking instincts, like when instead of shooting from the edge of the area, he chose to pass only for it to be intercepted and a counter-attack by the visitors ensued.
Dean Cox returned to the first team and exhibited his usual high level of performance but he seemed to run out of ideas when Yeovil's gigantic goalkeeper kept on catching everything that was in his area. Alex Revell exhibited some good aerial play and won a lot of headers but his fellow attackers didn't get near his knock-downs so play was continually broken up around him. He also suffered from a lack of decent service and seemed a bit frustrated at the long-ball tactic the Albion frequently used and which rarely worked. Jakey Robinson had a quiet afternoon and apart from one dangerous run in the first half and a five minute spell after Gatting's strike, he was largely anonymous. In fact Gatting looked very lively (well as lively as he can for someone so slow!) and took his goal well and generally held the ball up well at a difficult part of the match. He still doesn't look ready to start a match but is steadily improving.
Wayne Henderson had a good game and can count himself unlucky to have conceded three goals. He made two or three excellent saves to deny almost certain goals and his kicking and throwing was decent. He still needs to command his area more however, as proven when Morris hit the post after a mix up between the centre of defence and himself.
And so to the defence, well Rents and Whing where both fairly solid but where unable to offer any attacking threat due to the extra work they had to do helping out Butters and Hinshelwood. It later emerged that Hinshelwood was suffering from 'discomfort' in his troublesome right knee and this probably covered why he seemed so off the pace. Butters seemed to struggle against the pace and movement of the two opposition strikers and often he was shown up for a lack of pace and mobility. With these two playing with a lack of pace the defence where very deep which sucked in the midfield as may explain why the long-ball game wasn't effective.
Credit where it's due to Yeovil however, their football was fluent, and in their front pairing of Morris and Best they have combination of skilled back to goal hold-up play and lightning pace will cause a lot of sides at this level a problem. In their goalkeeper Mildenhall, they have a real asset who as the Albion realised, can pluck most crosses out of the air with relative ease. It was only when Revell switched to right-wing and was able to get to the byline that we had much success - in fact that's when Gatting scored.
I think this is probably a game that we can sweep under the carpet and say it was probably down the youthfulness of the side, perhaps a more experienced Albion XI would have taken at least a point but that I largely inconsequential and as long as the seagulls learn from their mistakes then I am sure not to many fans will hold it against them. Expect Yeovil to be up there when it all concludes and probably, unfortunately, above us.
By RHYS TURRELLLabels: League One, Rhys Turrell, Yeovil
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Saturday Pickup
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Posted by David Snowball
at
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
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SLOW out of the traps yet again, Albion were punished by a veteran goal poacher.
Their lacklustre performance at Yeovil simply ached for someone with the same class and finishing ability as Marcus Stewart.
It was a touch ironic too that the game was put beyond Albion's reach by a striker who once wore the stripes, albeit briefly.
The season will be full of what-might-have-been moments unless we can land that elusive target man.
In short, although the Albion had large amounts of possession during the game, they had no cutting edge in the final third - an oh-so-familiar story.
At times, as we huffed and puffed and passed it sideways and back, it was difficult to appreciate we could so easily have managed to salvage a point at least.
After Stewart's cracking early goal - when he was given time and space on the edge of the penalty area to control a neat ball in from Nathan Jones and rifle it past Henderson - Yeovil actually had very few chances to score.
It was only a classic breakaway late in the game, after an Albion free kick shambles, that led to Wayne Gray's winner.
Let's return to that free kick. In a game when Albion struggled to get themselves into good goalscoring positions, whatever possessed them to squander the opportunity to belt in a direct shot from the edge of the penalty area?
When Hammond was upended on the edge of the area, instead of a direct hit from the likes of Chippy, Coxy or Mayo, there was a disastrous tippy-tappy session that came to nothing.
Yeovil cleared their lines, and, with our centre backs committed forwards for that free kick, a gaping hole appeared at the back which Gray exploited.
There was a tired look about the Albion which could be put down to expecting too much from this largely young side playing their sixth game in 18 days.
What of individual performances? The returning Henderson in goal had very little to do. He didn't stand much chance with the goals and pulled off a couple of saves. It was telling, perhaps, that he seemed nervous in the moments before kick off about taking up his position in goal in front of the impressive ranks of Albion supporters; choosing to loiter on the edge of the area until the game kicked off.
Prior to the game, the impression was given that, if he'd been well enough, Guy Butters might have started instead of Georges Santos. I fully expect that to happen on Saturday.
I know Santos used to drive QPR supporters to distraction, and he's shown us why. To be fair, his passing improved in the second half, and his most effective moments were reserved for the do-or-die final five minutes when he was thrust up front. But even then he failed to capitalise on a slip by his marker, and a half-chance went begging.
Tommy Elphick got a place on the bench at Huish Park, and I wonder if he might be given an opportunity against Chesterfield.
It was good to see Richard Carpenter back in central midfield, but he didn't stamp his authority on the game in the way we know he can.
Dean Hammond looked our most energetic and effective player and was unlucky when he thumped a loose ball in the penalty area straight at Milldenhall, who double-punched it away. Dean Cox, playing in the excluded Alex Frutos role wide left, was less influential than he has been in recent games.
Tommy Fraser got himself into some good positions and could consider himself unfortunate to be substituted. His replacement, Joe Gatting, looked short of fitness - or perhaps he simply isn't going to convert his youthful goalscoring prowess to the League?
Alex Revell again put in a workmanlike performance that once or twice threatened to produce something, but Yeovil were well marshalled at the back by Terrell Forbes, who managed to keep most attacks at bay.
Gary Hart failed to get the better of his old Albion team-mate Jones, who looked comfortable at left back for the home side.
Brighton, though, should at least be getting a point from teams like Yeovil.
The Celtic lookalikes in their green and white hoops passed the ball neatly and, in the unpronounceable-named lad who scored for Grimsby against Spurs last season, had easily the best player on the pitch. He ran the show.
The Deans' honeymoon is well and truly over with this third defeat in a row and I fully expect to see a managerial appointment from outside the club before very long.
If we are to get in on loan the two or three players we need to strengthen what is a flimsy squad, there surely needs to be a permanent boss in place before any player is going to commit to join us.
Nick Turrell Labels: League One, Nick Turrell, Yeovil
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