Post Match report for the Newcastle game - Monday, 20th July 2020
PREMIER LEAGUE restarted: Brighton v Newcastle - 20/7/20, P37.
(Postponed 9/5/20 - Prem suspended).
ALBION CRAWL TO SAFETY BUT NUMBERS DO NOT ADD UP
RESULT: 0-0 . SHAPE: 4-4-1-1
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - nineteenth and final home match of thirty-seven fixtures to date.
PRE-KICKOFF: as this interrupted campaign came to a conclusion domestically, enforced absent Brighton fans could reflect during tv build up on how it had all gone down. Well, to say survived at least, barring a swing of biblical disaster proportions.
Tony Bloom divided BHA support fifteen months ago but we had got behind seismic changes, kept the faith and turned up in tens of thousands until latterly prevented.
Our club owner now talked a lot up, with positive spin in match-day mag print. But for many time-wise blue & white devoted, a protracted feeling of disappointment pervaded prior to 6pm BST.
WEATHER: very nice evening in late July.
GRAHAM POTTER had come to join the elites party a year ago last May by invitation rather than application. He then influenced, indulged, participated and sometimes entertained. Outcomes were often beyond his control from input.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. 2 Lamptey, 15 Webster, 5 Dunk, 33 Burn
. 13 Gross, 8 Bissouma, 6 Stephens, 18 Mooy
. . . . . . 11 Trossard . . . . . . . . 7 Maupay
BENCH: 27 Button, 22 Montoya, 44 Connolly, 50 Cochrane.
20 March (58), 10 Mac Allister (58), 24 Propper (73), 17 Murray (73), 4 Duffy (86).
GOALS: none.
INCIDENTS: Maupay goes down in the box... no whistle, so gets up to pass instead.
YELLOWS: Bissouma, Stephens, Gross, Webster.
SUBS: 58 - March & Mac Allister for Mooy & Gross. 73 - Propper & Murray for Bissouma & Maupay. 86 - Duffy for Lamptey.
ANALYSIS: the first half was equivalent to a ponderous game of chess played in sunlight and largely forgettable as viewed via high tv gantries.
The second period continued in similar vein until changes of personnel upped the ante by both outfits after the sun finally dipped below roof level.
Visitors tried for a late winner and the game opened up subsequently with plenty of ball in the air. BHA defence coped by adding height to central positions.
This no score bore sums up a full year of treading water. We were to be on the beach at last, after a long time drifting with the tide.
MoM - Burn, another pro display.
NUMBERS: poss 62%-38%, on target 3-1, off target 8-11, corners 9-7, fouls 13-12, yellows 4-2, subs 5-3 (5/9).
CONSEQUENCES: nothing mattered but keeping a clean sheet and at end of the day less was actually more.
FS
MORE READING: via Stats page tabs - Squad, History & Travel, Archive for Prem table, facts, figs and Clubs records.
