Brighton & Hove Albion (0) 1 Barnes 67 (pen)
Gillingham (0) 0
Att. 16,295
Entrance: £14.50
Programme: £2.00
Mileage: 80/456
New Ground: 242
Match Report
The old green eyed monster is a terrible trait in life and, in general, I don’t suffer from it, but football throws up a whole different set of circumstances than everyday life. All football supporters have clubs they don’t like for various reasons and one of mine is Brighton & Hove Albion. I didn’t much like them before they became tenants at Priestfield but their constant carping during their tenure that they were being ripped off by Gillingham left me hating their very existence, one that our club was instrumental in preserving.
There was something comforting about the Withdean Stadium; it was a poxy place that ideally suited a poxy club. Now they have a shiny new home and one, that as we approached we were quickly reminded by the first Albion supporter we encountered. Seeing our Gillingham colours he remarked, “Now we have a proper stadium”, yes, but you’ve still got a poxy club.
That’s got that off the chest. Yes the Village People Community Stadium is very impressive. Its main three-tiered stand is very pleasing on the eye with its curved roof mimicking the rolling hills in which it is set. The layout behind both goals is rather odd, especially the end where the home fans are sited. The amount of seating in relation to the room available seems limited, but I presume it is an area that can be reconfigured should they find themselves in the Premier League and requiring extra capacity. Likewise the visitors end and the other side, scope for extra seating is apparent.
The obvious downside to Falmer is the (wait for it, that word is coming again!) poxy transport links. No parking at the stadium means a park and ride that is nine miles away. That be said, we were the luckiest parkers in the Amex on Tuesday evening. At 6 p.m. we pulled up at Falmer to ask the way to the Park and Ride, having failed to find the Mill Hill point. A kindly steward took pity on us and allowed, despite the intervention of another steward, to occupy a corner spot at the Station. Lucky, lucky, lucky!
As for the game itself, given the two division difference between the sides, Gillingham performed admirably. There are the same reservations as the opening League game, Danny Kedwell cannot continue infinitum to plough a lone furrow up front and discipline cannot allow for seven bookings to be accumulated in a single match, even allowing for a poor performance from a real homer of a referee. The match was ultimately decided with the latter, Andy Frampton wrongly adjudged to have brought down the home danger man, Will Buckley, to concede the duly converted penalty. Television pictures clearly show that the Gillingham captain played the ball and Buckley fell very easily.
After early chances for Kedwell, the second of which was cleared from the line, Brighton exerted a lot of pressure on the visitors back line, especially poor Barry Fuller who was given a torrid time by Buckley. But they stayed firm with the central defensive partnership of Frampton and Matt Lawrence repelling everything alongside Joe Martin who continued his fine start to the season and it is to the credit of the back four that Ross Flitney barely had a save of note to make.
Gillingham actually enjoyed the better of the second period. Lewis Montrose had a penalty appeal turned down by the rotund Brendan Malone. At the time it didn’t look a penalty, but it was as much a penalty as the one given later. Casper Ankergren was forced to make a decent save from a Montrose header as Gillingham held the balance of play.
Following the 67th minute penalty, duly converted by Ashley Barnes, and into the final ten minutes, Gillingham could be accused of losing their discipline and a reckless challenge from substitute Stefan Payne led to a mass coming together of both sets of players before a frustrating final period when referee Malone blew his whistle and booked Gillingham players almost to distraction.
So, our involvement in the Carling Cup ends with a defeat in the first round but in a heartening manner. One final word for the steward at Falmer Station who said that we could not park there on future occasions, we don’t want to come back to your poxy club anyway.
To my readers who in the past have enjoyed balanced reports, the green-eyed monster is back in its cage and normal service will be resumed at Maidenhead.
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