Ajax 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 2
Goals from Barcelona loan signing Ansu Fati and Simon Adringa sent Albion to the top of Europa League Group B for a couple of hours.
Just to be writing the words Ajax 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 2 seems utterly ridiculous.
The Seagulls looked dominant and in control from the off although Bart Verbruggen had to get down smartly a couple of times to shots from Kristian Hlynsson.
But when Joao Pedro and Simon Adringa sent Ansu Fati away to put Albion in front, the moment when Liam Brady told the assembled media at the Goldstone that the club could not afford to insure the youth team minibus to fulfil a fixture back in 1995 seemed light years away.
Ajax had chances of their own before the interval although Steven Berghuis was way off target twice.
Adringa scored the second goal on 53 minutes to double Brighton’s lead. The fact that it was in Amsterdam against Ajax – not in a friendly but in a competitive European fixture – left some simply unable to see as the tears welled in their eyes.
Some 27 years ago to the day, some of those fans had implored others not to attend a League 2 match against Mansfield at the Goldstone Ground, in Hove, in a protest against owners Bill Archer and Greg Stanley
At half time on the corresponding day in 1996, a steward “accidentally” opened he gates to the East Stand at half time. About 3,000 fans poured in to see Denny Mundee score a vital second-half penalty as Albion earned a crucial point in their battle to beat relegation from the entire Football League.
As tonight’s game went on, Albion’s Dutch international goal keeper Bart Verbruggen made some great saves as Brighton held on to their lead.
After Marseilles beat Athens, the French side went top but the Seagulls look comfortable in second with two group games to play.
Albion are due to play Sheffield United in the Premier League at 2pm on Sunday (12 November) at the Amex.
