1) Ring of Fire might be becoming a ring of fire risk. The song played just before kick off to gee up the Amex crowd and appeared to antagonise referee Neil Swarbrick. The sometime premier league official was unable to start the match until it stopped. The game got under way at 7.47pm.
2) Not many Albion fans appeared to recognise former Albion goalkeeper Eric Steele. He played in Albion’s promotion winning team at Newcastle in 1979 is now Derby’s goalkeeping coach. Steele spent most of the match giving instructions in Derby’s technical area.
3) Joe Bennett is a compassionate young man. The Albion full back whacked the ball into the crowd from the touchline and apologised to the fans he hit in the Lower West Stand immediately. He was booked for his trouble and five minutes later, while taking a throw in from the same area, he appeared to apologise again.
4) Ex-Brighton and Hove mayor Ann Norman and her husband Ken enjoyed Albion’s win from their seats in the West Stand 1901. Ann, who also completed the inaugural Brighton Marathon in 2010, appeared delighted with the result and both look to be die-hard Albion fans.
5) Both Albion goals were scored by substitutes. It was Dale Stephens’s second goal for the club and Kazenga LuaLua’s ninth.
