Post Match report for the Everton game - Saturday, 26th October 2019
PREMIER LEAGUE: Brighton v Everton - 26/10/19, P10
ALBION ENJOY THE SWEET TASTE WHEN TOFFEES CRACK LATE
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - fifth home match of ten fixtures to date.
RESULT: 3-2 ~ Gross, Maupay, og . (h-t 1-1) . SHAPE: 4-4-2 .
REF: assisted by technology which aided binocular vision.
PRE-KICKOFF: it was becoming quite autumnal as Brighton fans congregated like falling leaves in the Sussex wind.
The Prem table was beginning to take seasonal shape but Albion needed to target mid div before too long, or else suffer during colder weeks of protracted winter.
GATE: 30,529 . WEATHER: wet & windy . PITCH: always playable but slowed by surface water.
GRAHAM POTTER reassessed the available squad, knowing yet another changed line-up would take to field of battle.
Alzate replaced suspended Mooy. Duffy stood aside with a tug, allowing Balogun a seat among subs. Schelotto appeared there like a prodigal long-lost distant relative.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. 22 Montoya, 15 Webster, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn
. . 24 Propper, 46 Alzate, 6 Stephens, 13 Gross
. . . . . . . . . . 7 Maupay, 44 Connolly
BENCH: 27 Button, 14 Balogun, 21 Schelotto (66), 8 Bissouma, 20 March, 11 Trossard (65), 17 Murray (80)
GOALS: 15 - 1-0. Connolly got tripped to left of the D. An extended wall lined up but GROSS thumped the ball up & over which the keeper got a hand to help into the net.
20 - 1-1. At a corner the big striker rose and projected a header downwards. The ball went in wide off Webster, to evade Ryan.
74 - 1-2. A simple prod through static defenders gave the sub runner a chance to slip Ryan as he came out to close the angle.
80 - 2-2. Connolly went down in the area with his back to goal and stayed on the deck. VAR concluded a penalty. MAUPAY did the biz.
94 - 3-2. Trossard ran amok deep into enemy territory before putting a centre across the area. A defender registered an unfortunate OG.
INCIDENTS: Seagulls put the ball in the net early into the second period but linos flag raised and VAR confirmed this decision. Technical support mixed with many other various ups & downs that Ref was required to adjudicate.
YELLOWS: 33 - Stephens was forced to take one for the team. 93 - Propper kept more pressure on.
SUBS: 65 - a double swap saw Trossard & Schelotto introduced for Gross & Montoya. 80 - Murray came on when Connolly got withdrawn after the penalty decision.
Potter ensured pedal was kept to the metal, while giving game-time to men returning from injury. It was a win-win.
ANALYSIS: visitors press caused hosts problems during the first forty-five minutes, where two set pieces restored parity during a game of aquatic chess. So following on in the second half, pattern of play got interrupted again for several stoppages involving injury and technological analysing to boot.
Substitutions seemed effective as locals took play to opposition in a bid to find the net. But the away outfit also put changes into effect and immediately sneaked a lead.
The home unit responded with intent, needing to up the ante or suffer defeat from a workmanlike but blunted display.
In the event vagaries of video replays and fickle finger of fate turned the contest vice versa from north to south.
MoM - Maupay, with an industrious display.
HOME FAN: five very different goals to entertain us and all the thrills and spills of a wet Saturday afternoon to savour ending in a fluke late winner. Get in!
AWAY FAN: it is a long way to come not to get rub of the green. The game-plan was working albeit conditions caused many incidents needing reference to VAR. Sometimes fate unjustly intervenes.
NEUTRAL VIEW: motd highlights should be worth a look tonight. Brighton made best of home advantage when ebb & flow eventually went their way but that is football all over.
FS
