By Tim Hodges from the Amex
Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Crystal Palace 0
The Albion all but avenged the Selhurst Park horror show of October 2002 with a scintillating display against a bemused looking Crystal Palace.
It was Albion’s first home win against their arch-rivals since 1988.
As he hinted he might do in Thursday morning’s press conference, Seagulls boss Gus Poyet selected an attacking formation with both wingers Kazenga LuaLua and Will Buckley in the starting line-up.
LuaLua tormented defender Ashley Richards and head-banded Jonathan Parr all afternoon.
There was nothing in it for the first half hour although Buckley was getting into some good positions to cross the ball.
The first incident of note was a superb one-handed save from Albion keeper Tomasz Kuszczak from a diving header by Albion defender Matthew Upson.
Soon after Albion had their first real chance as Andrea Orlandi broke clear and whipped in a cross but David Lopez mistimed his connection and the ball trickled out of play.
Parr then found himself clear just outside the Albion box but his shot was well held by Kuszczak.
Leo Ulloa was putting himself about and showing some nice touches. During one attack he had a nasty looking clash of heads with former Albion striker Glenn Murray.
Wilfried Zaha began to show his worth but was well shackled by a combination of Inigo Calderon, Liam Bridcutt and captain Gordon Greer.
The game then turned in one moment. Ulloa picked up a loose ball in midfield and sent Buckley scampering away. The million-pound winger jinked past Peter Ramage and lofted a cross to the back post searching out Ulloa.
The big Argentine got a good connection with his header and the ball took a deflection off a defender and looped up past Julian Speroni and nestled, almost unnoticed for a second, in the bottom corner of the goal to put the Albion in the lead.
The Seagulls fans were ecstatic and Palace shell-shocked both on and off the pitch.
The fourth official indicated just one minute of added time at the end of the first half just as Buckley was running at the Palace defence. Kagisho Dikgacoi scythed him down.
Referee Craig Pawson indicated a free kick just outside the penalty area and, as Orlandi appeared to be shaping to take it from the right, David Lopez guided a shot with the side of his foot which beat Speroni and put Albion 2-0 up at half time via the underside of the crossbar.
A majority of the 28,499 at the Amex were ecstatic.
A third goal was always going to be massive and it nearly came via Orlandi but he wasn’t able to get enough power on a cheeky back-heel. The chance was created by LuaLua who twisted, turned and rolled his body and the ball to get the cross in.
Albion looked far more hungry to put it to bed than Palace did to get back in it.
David, cutting in from the left, fed Bridcutt. His deep cross was met by Orlandi with an exquisitely cushioned header and Ulloa had time to open a tin of corned beef before firing past Speroni from six yards to put the Seagulls 3-0 up and put their fans in party mood all over the stadium.
The atmosphere was electric and the Albion fans were jubilant with half an hour still to go.
Kevin Phillips, who had come on at half time for Palace, was stuck out wide. Murray appeared out of sorts (the only current Brightonian who was today) and Zaha was becoming more and more frustrated as the match went on.
LuaLua on the other hand was getting Albion attacking at every opportunity. It was the winger’s best game for Albion for some time and the confidence that he exuded was pleasing to many.
Bridcutt and Wayne Bridge seemed to win everything that came their way with Bridge forming a supporting barricade behind LuaLua.
Albion didn’t take their foot off the gas. Ulloa on his own, and surrounded by three or more Palace defenders, raced away from inside his own half. He then checked his run as he neared the penalty area and, with the defensive pack closing, unleashed a shot which Speroni saved. The Palace keeper then parried away the follow up from Buckley.
Before the end Phillips eventually dragged a shot wide and Zaha tried in vain to get a decent cross in.
Albion almost got a fourth when LuaLua fired just over from the edge of the area right near the end but, just before 2pm as the final whistle blew, the Albion put themselves back on a footballing map they haven’t occupied for many a long year with a crowd of almost 30,000 watching them beat the old enemy at home.
Albion: Kuszczak; Calderon, Greer, Upson, Bridge; David, Bridcutt, Orlandi; Buckley, Ulloa, LuaLua. Subs: Ankergren , Dunk, Painter, Crofts, Hammond, Vicente, Barker.
Crystal Palace: Speroni; Richards, Ramage, Delaney, Parr; Jedinak, Dikgacoi; Zaha, Williams, Bolasie; Murray. Subs: Price, Butterfield, Phillips, Wilbraham, Moxey, Moritz, Gabbidon
Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
If anyone says Brighton deserved to win I need to retire from football !!