Match Reports
09/02/08
Chichester 0-2 Men's 1st XI
After reading Ashford’s match report from the previous week Brighton went into this game at Chichester with the intention of showing them, and the league, that Brighton are not “a poor side that never really looked like coming back into the game”. I would like to thank the author of the Ashford Men’s 1st XI match report for giving us the positive criticism which enabled us to produce a result that keeps them 1 point behind us.
Chichester came into the game in second place and chasing Fareham for the promotion spot, but having not played the previous week through a frozen pitch at Staines. Brighton on the other hand had missed an opportunity to extend the gap between them and the highly defensive Ashford and went into this week’s game knowing that a win was going to take something extremely special, and that is exactly what the players produced.
Every player in a blue shirt took responsibility for their game and did what was necessary to control their Chi counterpart. Not only did every Brighton player stay focused for the entire match, they played with a passion that had been lacking in recent weeks. Maybe it was the fact that we were playing a good opposition this week that made players lift their game, but I like to think that it was because everyone on the pitch believed and trusted their team mates.
With the game reaching half time at 0-0 and the feeling that not only were Brighton defending like 300 Spartans at a bottle neck pass, but they were creating chances which could have put them into the lead. Brighton’s left back, Tom Langston, had the best chance of the first half when he found himself in space and 1-on-1 with the Chi goalie. If only he had refused that final pint the night before, he may have put the ball into the net, but instead it clipped the outside of the upright and wide.
Chichester had plenty of chances to convert any one of 7 or 8 short corners but time after time the Brighton short corner defence, lead by Kevin Browne and backed by Hugh Salter, Richard Baker, and Gareth Lendrum, refused to bow to the onslaught. And when the drag flicker managed to beat them, Neil Burlinson was at hand to casual tip the ball around the post.
In the second half Brighton were more threatening on the break and Andrew Accott opened the scoring with a 3 yard tap in after an initial shot had rebounded off the left hand post and behind the keeper. This may sound like an easy goal but just ask his brother, Simon Accott, who managed to miss from the same distance last half of the season in the 3-2 win against Ashford.
Andrew Accott was also the scorer for Brighton’s second after a nice break down the left was switched by Gareth Lendrum to the right, only to be switch back for Andrew to score with a first time effort.
Brighton players should hold their heads high and prepare for next weeks game against Oxford Uni with the same passion as they did for the Chi game.