Brighton vs Middlesbrough - Post Match Analysis

On the face of it, 2-1 looks like a hard fought game, with one team just edging out their opponents out. Truthfully, however, Brighton's only real times of threat came in the opening 10 and closing 10 minutes of the game (not including the 5 for extra time.)

Kazenga LuaLua and Gary Gardener both with chances to score for the seagulls, and Tomlin claiming a penalty for the visitors was the only real opportunities of note, before Boro who made the break through 8 minutes in to the first half, with Lee Tomlin firing in a pull back to the edge of the box from Reach and Tomlin dispatched willingly into the top corner. I never doubted him ...

Then ensued a heated period, with players from both teams, and George Friend's foul on Brighton's Texieria meaning he had to be replaced by one Paddy McCourt. The man who, not 1 year earlier waltzed through a hopeless and frankly unrecognisable Boro team, with Friend, Leadbitter and Adomah the only noticeable survivors. Friend was then on the receiving end of a poor tackle from Gardner, but afterwards, referee Andy D'Urso, had words and tempers calmed.

Into the second half, Brighton seemed to continue in the same way in which they ended the first, having a lot of the ball but doing nothing with it. It was the story of their game, in truth and they looked like a team win- less since August 23rd, and not in any hurry to change that. They clearly missed the fire power of Ulloa who is now enjoying life in the Premier League. His replacements in Baldock and O'Grady who were in relegated to and in League 1 respectively last year look off the pace if truth be told and Gibson and Ayala were rarely troubled too much. 

In fact, Ayala was so untroubled, we felt like he wanted to stretch his legs, so, in the 53rd minute, he decided to run from one box to the other, only stopping to interchange passes, and laid a ball into the feet of 'Uncle Albert' and, after hitting the first shot off Stockdale, followed up and scored Boro's second of the day and his 3rd of the season.

It wasn't until the dying embers of the game, that Brighton began to pick their way through our tight nitted defensive shape (which those listening to BBC Tees will realise was very important to Neil Maddison.) Bennett headed straight at big Dimi and O'Grady fired wide from close range.

Our back line was eventually broken down by Brighton, with Scot Gordon Greer heading in from a McCourt cross that had been flicked on by Colunga. A very poor goal to concede from a Boro point of view as it was very avoidable. 

Despite some late pressure from the home side, our back line held strong and we came away with our 11th point from a possible 15. And our 7th game unbeaten

So all in all, a good outing from the lads, kept our nerve against a tricky opposition. The next game, however, will show our true metal. It'll show if we are true promotion candidates or if we'll fail against the big guns when it matters with Wolves who have been in an around us all year and the current table toppers, Watford on Saturday, a game I shall definitely be attending.

Thanks for reading again, and as always, up the Boro and there is only 1 Steve Gibson!