Biggest game of the season - Brighton @ Home

[TANGODANCER]

What's the betting for a media headline tomorrow: "Five on the Trotters...!

[Dr.Karl]

I think they're the best side I've seen this season. Brilliant possession of the ball and movement off it. They should be doing better than 6th imo. That said I didn't think they have a lot of goal threat but if they scored you couldn't complain.

I think we sit too deep but that is Dougie's plan and they're much better organised than in the last 18 months. OK they had more of the ball in the last 20 minutes but I felt more comfortable than in the West Brom home game last season in similar circumstances.

Pratley, Spearing and Alonso were the standouts for me. D Pratz has turned into a proper footballer recently.

Take the 3 points and move on, play offs are tangibly close!

[TANGODANCER]

CAPS. What's the word on Kamara? He seemed to do okay today...

[Always hopeful]

for those that went - I didn't even hear it on t'radio or by tango-vision as I was at an all-day meeting in taunton..

the BBC says they had 12 shots on target to our 8...

were these all long range shots cos we were restricting them to that? was lonergan much troubled?

stats don't usually tell the story...

anyone?

also - how did the Alonso goal happen?

They had more efforts on goal than us, that can't be argued. Lonergan wasn't troubled much tbh. There were no real "oh s**t that was close" kind of moments (other than when they hit the post in the first half from a deflected shot), but the last 15 mins or so was pretty much in our half/box as they pushed for the win, so was pretty tense. The fact that they didn't score shows that we dealt with them, albeit on the back foot for most of it.

Alonso's goal was meant to be a cross in my opinion. He had the ball on the outside of the corner of their box and looked up to drive in a low cross that probably would have gone over the penalty spot, but instead of it swinging across the box it went straight, in front of their keeper and into the far corner of the net. Strange goal. I look forward to seeing a replay, to see if I'm right.

[onlywanderer]

Luck? Jesus.

What we had today was character, will to win, and most crucially, the thing the Coyle apologists pretended didn't matter, organisation.

Everyone knew their roles and stuck to them.

Feck it, it was a great plan. Let Brighton play football but stop them 25 yards out from really hurting us. Play them higher up the pitch and they'd have picked their way through. They did that for the first 20 minutes.

Thank god we know have a manager who knows what he's doing.

Agreed, Brighton were much better than our other recent opponents. I think Dougie knew this.

Exactly, you could argue that today was Dougie's best performance tactically.

Brighton have a few players of real quality; Vicente and Bridcutt looked a cut above at times. Playing an open passing game against them today would have resulted in a loss I'm sure.

Tactics nailed on, Brighton couldn't create and i thought we deserved the win in the end.

Side note. Think Eagles sub was right as Chungy seemed to have woken up and Eagles had run him-self into the ground.

Happy Wanderer tonight!!

[Athers]

Said after Peterborough that the defending we had to do in that game will see us well into the future as practice, and today I'm convinced that belief of being able to keep a clean sheet kept them alive in the box.

Spearing really coming into his own now. I was/am a doubter but can't fault him at the moment.

[BWFC_Insane]

Eagles was feeling his calf before going off.

Kamara is a fecking battler alright. Gets stuck in.

Not sure he suited playing on the right today but he worked hard!

[thebish]

for those that went - I didn't even hear it on t'radio or by tango-vision as I was at an all-day meeting in taunton..

the BBC says they had 12 shots on target to our 8...

were these all long range shots cos we were restricting them to that? was lonergan much troubled?

stats don't usually tell the story...

anyone?

also - how did the Alonso goal happen?

They had more efforts on goal than us, that can't be argued. Lonergan wasn't troubled much tbh. There were no real "oh s**t that was close" kind of moments (other than when they hit the post in the first half from a deflected shot), but the last 15 mins or so was pretty much in our half/box as they pushed for the win, so was pretty tense. The fact that they didn't score shows that we dealt with them, albeit on the back foot for most of it.

Alonso's goal was meant to be a cross in my opinion. He had the ball on the outside of the corner of their box and looked up to drive in a low cross that probably would have gone over the penalty spot, but instead of it swinging across the box it went straight, in front of their keeper and into the far corner of the net. Strange goal. I look forward to seeing a replay, to see if I'm right.

cheers!

[thebish]

What's the betting for a media headline tomorrow: "Five on the Trotters...!

zero chance!

the headline (even if it is about our game) will involve some kind of wankathon over Harry Redknapp and QPR winning back-to-back victories and the comeback be in "on"...

[89bwfc89]

Eagles went straight down the tunnel when he came off. Hope it's nothing serious enough to keep him out.

[thebish]

re. the sending off.. the BBC says:

Ashley Barnes shown a red card for foul and abusive language.

[TANGODANCER]

Alonso's goal was meant to be a cross in my opinion. He had the ball on the outside of the corner of their box and looked up to drive in a low cross that probably would have gone over the penalty spot, but instead of it swinging across the box it went straight, in front of their keeper and into the far corner of the net. Strange goal. I look forward to seeing a replay, to see if I'm right.

Head down, not leaning back, over the ball, fully focussed and leathering it. That was no cross for me.

[Always hopeful]

re. the sending off.. the BBC says:

Ashley Barnes shown a red card for foul and abusive language.

Sounds about right. That's how I read the situation too. I can't see any other reason for him getting sent off. He didn't want to go either. He had to be pushed off the pitch by one of his team mates who wanted to get on with the game 'cos there were only seconds to go. As it happens, the sending off used up all of the "extra time" anyway and play didn't re-start.

[Always hopeful]

Alonso's goal was meant to be a cross in my opinion. He had the ball on the outside of the corner of their box and looked up to drive in a low cross that probably would have gone over the penalty spot, but instead of it swinging across the box it went straight, in front of their keeper and into the far corner of the net. Strange goal. I look forward to seeing a replay, to see if I'm right.

Head down, not leaning back, over the ball, fully focussed and leathering it. That was no cross for me.

You might be right, but let's wait and see the replay. I don't care tbh. It went in, that's all that matters!!

[LeverEnd]

Alonso's goal was meant to be a cross in my opinion. He had the ball on the outside of the corner of their box and looked up to drive in a low cross that probably would have gone over the penalty spot, but instead of it swinging across the box it went straight, in front of their keeper and into the far corner of the net. Strange goal. I look forward to seeing a replay, to see if I'm right.

Head down, not leaning back, over the ball, fully focussed and leathering it. That was no cross for me.

Agreed, good strike, probably shouldn't have been a goal from that angle but worth a shot in case the keeper misses it or spills it in front. He gave it some welly though and deserved it for a good shift throughout.
Wouldn't really single anyone out, good hard-working team performance.

[89bwfc89]

"I have been trying for some time now to score a goal from long range and it was pleasing to see my shot today go in," says Marcos Alonso.

Official Facebook page.

[thebish]

re. the sending off.. the BBC says:

Ashley Barnes shown a red card for foul and abusive language.

Sounds about right. That's how I read the situation too. I can't see any other reason for him getting sent off. He didn't want to go either. He had to be pushed off the pitch by one of his team mates who wanted to get on with the game 'cos there were only seconds to go. As it happens, the sending off used up all of the "extra time" anyway and play didn't re-start.

i'd just heard rumours that he kicked the ref...

[LeverEnd]

re. the sending off.. the BBC says:

Ashley Barnes shown a red card for foul and abusive language.

Sounds about right. That's how I read the situation too. I can't see any other reason for him getting sent off. He didn't want to go either. He had to be pushed off the pitch by one of his team mates who wanted to get on with the game 'cos there were only seconds to go. As it happens, the sending off used up all of the "extra time" anyway and play didn't re-start.

Exactly, thanks for that Ashley! Just what we needed ina tense finale.

Showed him on SSN shouting at the ref and selfishly refusing to leave. I'd hammer the moron if I were Poyet.

Didn't see any kicking. Kicking off verbally yes.

[CrazyHorse]

This all too stressful for a person my age - it's not good. I don't know what CH means by "bricking it" but I think I probably am too. I enjoyed our 4-1 win but since then my stress level has been far too high.

The art of bricking it is when one's nerves make their acquaintance with the inside of the back of one's underpants.

[thebish]

re. the sending off.. the BBC says:

Ashley Barnes shown a red card for foul and abusive language.

Sounds about right. That's how I read the situation too. I can't see any other reason for him getting sent off. He didn't want to go either. He had to be pushed off the pitch by one of his team mates who wanted to get on with the game 'cos there were only seconds to go. As it happens, the sending off used up all of the "extra time" anyway and play didn't re-start.

Exactly, thanks for that Ashley! Just what we needed ina tense finale.

Showed him on SSN shouting at the ref and selfishly refusing to leave. I'd hammer the moron if I were Poyet.

Didn't see any kicking. Kicking off verbally yes.

was it a straight red or a second yellow?? if it was a straight red - it'd surely have to be summat pretty offensive given what footballers seem to get away with nowadays...