Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Huddersfield Town 3
By Tim Hodges, for one last time, at Withdean
The Albion lost the last first-team fixture to be played at the Withdean Stadium.
It was an emotional day for all connected to the Seagulls.
Huddersfield Town to their great credit gave the Albion a guard of honour as they entered the pitch.
Gus Poyet named a strong line up although Peter Brezovan and Ashley Barnes were changes due to injuries
Gary Hart, who played in the first league fixture at Withdean way back in August 1999, was named as a substitute.
Town, a team chasing the second automatic promotion spot, had not come for the occasion.
They flew at Albion from the start immediately, Joey Gudjonnson looking dangerous, but it was Benik Afobe who, after a mistake by Inigo Calderon, smashed the ball past Brezovan to give the Huddersfield a 1-0 lead inside 10 minutes.
The Albion rallied somewhat after this. Calderon got stuck in somewhat and Craig Noone on the right instead of the left had a good go at the Town defence.
As the half progressed Barnes forced a good save from the veteran Huddersfield keeper Ian Bennett.
Chris Wood and Liam Bridcutt also had chances to put Albion level and Noone and Elliott Bennett got into their stride down both touchlines. Wood had a header come back off the bar. From a Noone cross Wood swivelled and completely missed his kick on the edge of the area.
Unusually for the Albion, they trailed at the break.
However, soon into the second half a crude push on Bennett by the otherwise impressive Lee Peltier gave Albion their umpteenth penalty of the season.
And it was the umpteenth to be missed as well, although the culprit, Barnes, headed in the rebound for 1-1
The Albion then dominated Huddersfield. Bennett’s trickery and Gary Dicker’s industry put Town on the back foot.
Just as they looked to put a stamp on the game Gudjonnson lofted a ball forward, Brezovan and Calderon had a complete misunderstanding and Afobe nipped in to put Town back in front with his second of the game, making it 2-1.
Four minutes later this was forgotten by all the Albion fans as for one last time at Withdean Gary Hart an Albion player for almost 14 years took to the field as he replaced Wood and at the same time Matt Sparrow replaced Noone.
Within five minutes Hart back-heeled to put Sparrow through and he angled the ball past Bennett who put the Albion back level.
Bennett continued to run the Huddersfield defence and with one low cross he found Hart on the edge of the six-yard box, but there was to be no fairytale ending as the Huddersfield keeper parried Hart’s snap shot to safety.
Barnes and Bennett had chances to put Albion ahead after this, but it looked like the last Withdean fixture would end in stalemate.
However, more relaxed defending enabled Afobe this time to turn provider as he pulled the ball down to play in the aptly named Ward – Danny Ward – who took it around Calderon and shot past Brezovan to give Town all three points in the last minute.
This was not of course quite the end of the action at Withdean.
Five minutes after the final whistle each Albion player and Gus Poyet was introdrodued individually and eventually Gordon Greer lifted the elegant League 1 Trophy that confirmed Albion as champions.
Withdean Stadium has provided the setting for three Albion championships – 2001,2002 and 2011 – and one play-off promotion making it easily the club’s most successful ever venue.
Albion: Brezovan; Calderon, Greer, Elphick, Painter; Bridcutt, Dicker, Noone, Bennett; Wood, Barnes. Subs: Poke, Navarro, Sparrow, Hart, Holroyd, Kishishev, Dunk.
Huddersfield: Bennett; Peltier, P. Clarke, McCombe, Naysmith; Hunt, Arfield, Kilbane, Roberts; Afobe, Gudjonnson. Subs: Colgan, Ward, Kay, Cadamarteri, Novak, Rhodes, Lee.
Ref: Steve Tanner
