In the build-up to
the game, Mark McGhee challenged Mayo to prove he
deserves a new
contract at the end of the season, and he certainly put in a
solid performance
against Gillingham which won't have harmed his chances at
all.
He was combative
and calm under pressure and it was his long throw, flicked
on by Mark McCammon,
which set up Adam Virgo for the winner three minutes
from time.
It was a win the
Albion deserved, even though it looked like it was going to
be a repeat of the
Stoke game when all the dominance would count for nothing
because they'd
conceded a sloppy breakaway goal.
Gillingham
certainly showed why they're at the foot of the table, and the
first half header
that put them in front was the only real attack of theirs
I can recall.
Byfield and Sidibe
laboured in vain up front and Henderson, who was on loan
at Brighton at the
start of last season, was equally poor when he came on
for the last 15
minutes or so.
Brighton had far
more chances to settle the game, but Gallacher, on loan
from Norwich in the
Gillingham goal, looked a useful 'keeper. McCammon again
It was good to see
Virgo back on the scoresheet, but other than the goal and
one rasping long
range shot well saved by Gallacher, he wasn't at his best.
Hart too was busy
as ever, but not terribly effective until he went to his
more comfortable
slot wide right when McGhee switched to 4-4-2 with the
introduction of
Jones on the left (replacing Nicolas, who is clearly still
struggling with an
injury). I wouldn't be surprised if Leon Knight came
straight back into
the starting line-up against Wolves.
It was a shame the
Gillingham goal was down to a mix-up between Paul Reid
and Michel Kuipers
because other than that slip, I thought Paul Reid was our
man of the match.
He seems to be growing in stature at right back with each
game he plays
there, and he had one mazy dribble into the penalty area which
was deserving of a
better finish when he cut it back.
I was delighted to
see Richard Carpenter notch the equaliser - not only
because it spared
me having a miserable Boxing Day afternoon, but because
he's not hit his
usual standards since his return from a summertime knee
operation and you'd
like to hope this 25-yard strike might spark a change of
fortune for him.
Gillingham's new
boss Stan Ternent didn't think the game should have started
because of the
amount of frost in the pitch, but they watered and forked the
goalmouths to
soften the pitch in those areas and although it was obviously
tricky in places,
it was the same for both sides.
By no means a
classic, it was nevertheless a welcome three points which
might prove vital
in the fnal shake-up.
