By Tim Hodges
Hull City 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 0
The Albion lost their first league game of the season away on the East Yorkshire coast.
Jay Simpson scored the winner with just five minutes left to play. The omens weren’t good for the Seagulls even before kick-off as hundreds of travelling fans weren’t able to get to the game due to an incident on the railway line at Alexandra Palace.
It was the Seagulls, however, who – as they did at Swindon on Tuesday evening – had the lion’s share of possession in the early part of the match.
And the Seagulls could have had a penalty early on as Craig Mackail-Smith sprinted into the penalty area where Hull keeper Ben Amos appeared to up-end the Albion striker. But the referee Stuart Atwell waved play on.
Craig Noone and Mackail-Smith were linking up well and Andrew Crofts was eager to try his luck from range.
With half an hour or so gone Noone broke free down the wing and crossed for Mackail-Smith who glanced a header wide.
The man catching the eye most, and not for the first time, was Liam Bridcutt who was controlling the midfield area.
Vicente Rodriguez, who was omitted due to what was described as a small niggle, was very much the cog that Albion could have done with.
But Bridcutt was providing the industry to set Albion on the attack time and time again.
Hull’s Sone Aluko also tried his luck from range but his effort hit the bar. Not long after Robert Koren forced a good save from Tomas Kuszczak .
It was much the same story in the second half with Crofts and Kazenga LuaLua, who replaced Noone, creating good chances for Mackail-Smith.
Albion were undone as the clock ticked towards full time. Joe Dudgeon raced clear. He was thwarted by Kuszczak but the full-back regained control of the ball and slid it to Jay Simpson who slotted the ball home to give Hull all three points.
Albion: Kuszczak; Bruno, Greer, El-Abd, Bridge; Bridcutt, Dicker, Crofts; Noone, Barnes, Mackail-Smith. Subs: Ankergren, Dunk, Calderon, Painter, Harley, LuaLua, Agdestein
Hull: Amos; Rosenior, Chester, Faye, Dudgeon; Stewart, McKenna, Koren, Aluko; Mclean, Proschwitz. Subs: Oxley, Evans, McShane, Simpson, Cainey, Olofinjana, Bruce.
Referee: Stuart Attwell (Nuneaton).
