Brighton & Hove Albion 4 Carlisle United 3
By Tim Hodges at Withdean.
The Albion won a sensational encounter at The Withdean on Saturday afternoon with virtually the last kick of the match.
This was one of the most end to end, topsy turvey games since the Albion saw off Cambridge United by the same score in January 2002.
Ironically that day’s hat-trick hero Bobby Zamora scored a last minute penalty for Fulham also on Saturday afternoon.
Albion went at Carlisle straight from kick off, Noone went racing clear and crossed for Murray inside 30 seconds however United’s Simek got there first to prevent what would have been Withdeans fastest ever goal.
Carlisle then went on the attack as their manager had suggested they would, from a corner both Greer and Elphick failed to get enough purchase on the ball to clear effectively, Carlisle Loy then also failed to control, but the fell to Taiwo on the edge of the area, and he smashed it into the roof of the net, past a stranded and motionless Ankergren.
A quiet and almost stunned Withdean crowd then witnessed ‘a dig in and sort out’ Albion performance.
From Dicker free hick on the edge of the D Murray hit the bar with a super volley. Noone running at his man in the style of ex Albion great Neil Smillie had two of three shot charged down by the visitors defence.
It was Barnes collecting a short ball from Greer who sent Glenn Murray in to the penalty area tom poke home Albion’s equalizer on just before the half hour mark.
For a while after parity it was all Albion, Calderon had a fierce drive saved by Carlisle keeper Collin.
Murray then had a glorious chance to double his tally but glanced a header high and wide.
It was all square at the interval, with the Albion creeping on top.
It was fairly obvious at the start of the second half that Gus Poyet had given his team some strong words of advice.
The Albion moved the ball around with purpose and both Barnes and Murray looked to break free of the Carlisle defence however it was a sublime angled and defence splitting pass that set Barnes away from Robson , the young Albion forward took the ball on into the area and smashed it past Collin to put Albion into the lead.
Soon after Chris Wood replaced the tiring Noone just before the hour , Carlisle showed they never say die attitude, Carlisle’s Marshall in his orange boots, appeared to waltz past both Greer and Elphick and slotted his shot beyond Ankergren to draw the Cumbrains level.
Then Albion seemed a little shocked but undaunted and three minutes later Greer showed why Poyet spent most of the summer chasing his signature. The big Scottish centre half sent a glorious pinpoint pass 40 yards to Barnes on the edge of the area. Barnes controlled the ball first time place his shot in the bottom corner for 3-2. His 12th of the season.
In an attempt to shore things up Kishischev replaced Murray.
The Seagulls looked to put the result beyond doubt, Bennett was getting more and more change out of his full back. Both Dicker and surprisingly Elphick went close from his crosses.
It seemed likely that the Seagulls would close out a vital win.
However Carlisle substitute Francios Zoko was beginning to penetrate the Seagulls defence. Ankergren was forced to smother the ball at his feet and push another snapshot this time from Murphy wide of the post.
It was Zoko who crossed the ball from deep that caused Calderon to hurry a clearance straight to Simek, who lofted the ball back into Arter, who buried it past the Albion keeper to make it 3-3 two minutes into injury time.
The Albion ditched their passing game from the restart but Carlisle with 11 men behind the ball looked to hoof it anywhere. The ball fell to Greer in the centre and he lofted forward Dicker , Sandaza (on as a late sub) and Bennett all tied to get it under control the ball bounced around the penalty area and Livsey got a head to it for the visitors, but it only fell as far as Liam Bridcutt who smashed a superb volley past the helpless Collin, to give Albion a quite brilliant victory.
Albion: Ankergren; Calderon, Greer, Elphick, Painter; Bennett, Bridcutt, Dicker, Noone; Murray, Barnes. Subs: Sparrow, Sandaza, Kishishev, Taricco, Dunk, Wood, Brezovan.
Carlisle: Collin; Simek, Livesey, Murphy, Robson; Berrett; Taiwo, Noble; Marshall; Curran, Loy. Subs: Zoko, Borrowdale, Madden, Cooper, Arter, Wells, Caig.
Referee: Ollie Langford.
In other local football Tom Carruthers scored the first goal as ASC Strikers beat Seagulls Blues 2-1 at Middle Road
Young Carruthers was later named man of the match.
