Post Match report for the Sheff U game - Sunday, 20th December 2020
PREMIER LEAGUE 20/21: Brighton v Sheffield United - 20/12/20, P14.
ALBION LOST THE PLOT
RESULT: 1-1 ~ Welbeck . (h-t 0-0) . SHAPE: 5-2-3
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - seventh home match of fourteen fixtures to date . Sunday 12:00pm k-o.
Game played under regional Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions, allowing up to 2000 home support to attend.
PRE-MATCH: Brighton fans forgoing Sunday lunch but fortunate enough to obtain select entry were anticipating a first home win at the community stadium since lockdown was lifted with restart last June.
WEATHER: mild winter afternoon.
GRAHAM POTTER had Lamptey on the injury list, otherwise could pick 20 players, including 2 concussion subs, from a near full squad.
Maupay and Connolly got the nod. Sanchez retained keepers gloves, while Veltman deputised at right back.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sanchez
. 34 Veltman, 3 White, 5 Dunk, 4 Webster, 20 March
. . . . . . . . . 14 Lallana . . . . . . 8 Bissouma
. . . . . . 7 Connolly, 9 Maupay, 11 Trossard
BENCH: (from 9) 23 Steele, 33 Burn, 49 Molumby, 10 Mac Allister, 17 Alzate, 13 Gross.
16 Jahanbakhsh (46), 18 Welbeck (66), 29 Zeqiri (72).
GOALS: 0-1 - 63 . Hosts concede from a deflected pop after locals again lose possession in midfield.
1-1 - 87 . WELBECK lifts spirits and secures parity with a close range finish.
INCIDENTS: 25 - ball blocked on visitors goal-line . 34 - Sanchez makes a world class save . 40 - Ref changes yellow card to straight red for a United reckless challenge . 95 - ball cleared off the away line and then strikes a post.
YELLOWS: 33 - Dunk .
SUBS: 46 - Jahanbakhsh for Veltman . 66 - Welbeck for Maupay, 72 - Zeqiri for White.
SYNOPSIS: busy and energetic thrusts and threats from hosts saw them dominate possession and play during the first half. Competing against ten men just prior to the break immediately handed extra advantage to Seagulls.
The decision to be made by Potter was whether to make offensive changes early in the second period and go for all out attack.
After turnaround Albion put a forward on at expense of a defender, reshaping to 343. Going behind upset the proverbial apple cart, where locals were tasting defeat on their own patch once more.
Potter threw in two more attackers, removing a forward and another defender. The game trundled on via familiar methods & means as BHA struggled to find goal-scoring opportunities to equalise versus dug in defenders.
At end of the day blue & white snatched a late leveller to save a very red face.
NUMBERS: poss 73%-27%, on target 5-3, off target 16-2, corners 14-2, fouls 9-11, yellows 1-5, red 0-1, subs 3-3.
CONSEQUENCES: Albion are being dragged into another relegation dogfight.
FS
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