By Tim Hodges from the Amex
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Middlesbrough 2
Albion’s Amex misery continued this afternoon (Saturday 18 October ) as they lost 2-1 to high-flying Middlesbrough.
Gary Gardner had a great chance to put Albion in front early on but failed to connect properly and saw his close-range shot saved.
Adam Reach then put Gordon Greer under pressure and crossed for Lee Tomlin. Tomlin picked his spot to put Boro in front as Albion’s haphazard keeper David Stockdale left his goal unguarded.
Albion created very few significant chances for the remainder of the half. A few long-range efforts from Joao Teixeira and Gardner were all they could manage.
The fit-again Sam Baldock was finding it difficult to get involved as Boro seemed content to soak up Albion’s constant but largely ineffective pressure.
One bright spot was Paddy McCourt replacing Joao Teixeira. McCourt looks almost as technically gifted as Vicente Rodriguez at times but a lot of his play is misread by his teammates.
In fact McCourt waltzed through the Boro defence early in the second half but shot wide when well placed.
Chris O’Grady replaced Danny Holla as the second half started but looked less likely to score than Baldock.
After a good spell of Albion pressure and Dimitrios Konstantopoulos making a good save from Inigo Calderon, Boro broke and with a good counter-attacking move and doubled their lead.
Daniel Ayala crossing for Albert Adomah, whose first effort from a tight angle was scooped back into his path by Stockdale. Adomah made no mistake with his second effort, burying the ball in the bottom corner.
Adrian Colunga came on for Albion and did well on the right but Albion again looked toothless in attack.
Greer pulled one back for Albion from a McCourt corner with two minutes of normal time to play. But despite a couple of free kicks from decent positions, the Seagulls never really threatened the Boro goal again.
Boro’s one-time Albion target Adam Clayton almost had to be stretchered off after taking the ball full in the face inches from Lewis Dunk’s intended punt upfield. Clayton eventually walked to the touchline to be substituted.
Boro dished out the rough stuff from the off with Reach flattening Teixeria in the first minute. Ref Andy D’Urso failed to produce a card for this glaring foul.
Albion’s problems seem obvious to most fans – an error-prone less-than-confident goalkeeper and a variety of shot-shy and goal-shy forwards.
Stockdale is woeful. Ankargren makes better decisions and Walton must be an improvement.