Post Match report for the Tottenham game - Saturday, 5th October 2019
PREMIER LEAGUE: Brighton v Spurs - 5/10/19 P8
ALBION PLAY CHICKEN BUT HOTSPUR BLINK FIRST
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - fourth home match of eight fixtures to date.
RESULT: 3-0 ~ Maupay, Connolly 2 . (h-t 2-0) . SHAPE: 4-4-2 .
REF: easiest lunchtime jog he has had this autumn.
PREAMBLE: Brighton fans turned up before lunch knowing fortress Amex had long been reduced to easy pickings for marauding squads from all points north and west.
Another huge test of local solidarity was required in order to salvage a disappointing domestic defence in this crucial current campaign.
GATE: 30,610 . WEATHER: cloudy, dry & mild.
GRAHAM POTTER revised options in terms of the starting eleven and formation employed.
Debutant Connolly joined Maupay up front. There were four tried and tested men at the back but midfield contained various combinations of strength & guile.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. 22 Montoya, 15 Webster, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn
. . 13 Gross, 6 Stephens, 46 Alzate, 18 Mooy
. . . . . . . . . . 7 Maupay, 44 Connolly
BENCH: 27 Button, 3 Bong (88), 14 Balogun, 8 Bissouma (80), 16 Jahanbakhsh, 20 March, 17 Murray (90).
GOALS: 3 - 1-0. The ball looped over toward the crossbar and visitors keepers raised hands. Next second MAUPAY was guiding home the free chance.
32 - 2-0. A cross by Burn was clipped backwards by CONNOLLY who turned the rebound off the reserve keeper into the open net.
65 - 3-0. Route one ensued from deep and CONNOLLY ran on, cut inside and unleashed a low drive across the goalie to just inside the far post.
INCIDENTS: 2 - an over-hit high cross by Gross dropped on the line where the keeper fumbled, landing awkwardly, requiring treatment prior to removal on a stretcher.
Ryan showed all round football physicality when heading, chesting, passing and kicking but his low save to the left was top of that list of comprehensive custodian capabilities.
YELLOWS: 57 - Stephens had to be extra forceful to prevent an overload at a counter within sight of the area. 89 - Dunk wanted a clean sheet anyway.
SUBS: 80 - Bissouma on for Connolly. 88 - Bong relieved Alzate. 90 - Murray inserted, Stephens withdrawn.
ANALYSIS: the start was positive and quickly going a goal up in bizarre circumstances set the ball rolling in all senses. Taking a two goal lead into the interval gave sufficient cushion for the anticipated away reaction after turnaround.
But visitors surge petered out against determined resistance and hosts subsequently put them on the back foot again.
The third goal was going to be crucial and that it was a fine solo effort from a local lively young attacker all but ensured the result after two thirds of the contest completed.
Keeping a clean sheet was also a bonus almost as pleasing compared to netting three from our front two. And ensured negatives were now eliminated in records both on and off the pitch.
Each integral part of what appeared a well prepped & oiled machine worked to high efficiency during the full range of gears going forwards or backwards. Power and creativity in midfield was noted with fine tuning.
The alteration to orthodox 442 formation seemed to suit personnel selected to start, so Potter should take credit for this successful revision.
Method of play included actively competing for possession when without, or at loose balls, thus hardly allowing classy opposition time to stoke the ball around or show any hotspur skills.
MoM - Connolly, stamped his attacking skills on this division.
HOME FAN; we have waited many a while to win here and to do it versus a huge club makes things much more special. We had eleven heroes out there today.
AWAY FAN; it is not a lot of fun for Spurs followers at the moment after a terrible week or so. It is a team game and in spite of international quality in the squad the sum total of efforts today amounted to zero.
NEUTRAL VIEW; the question to be answered is whether Spurs were just bad or Brighton very good. The answer lies somewhere in between but hosts certainly upped their game once leading and never really looked back.
FS