Well, this is a rare treat isn’t it?

A game on Sky, and as a result, a match report typed minutes after the final whistle. Thanks Sky - a few pints of beer was definitely cheaper than a £40 ticket & travel trip to Colchester, a fairly uninspiring ground in the middle of nowhere.

I’m going to go as far as saying that tonight’s performance was superb, and the result was pretty good too. On another night, it could even be argued that we’d have taken all three points.

It was actually surprisingly difficult to get into the television coverage; largely due to the camera’s insisting on showing Poyet’s mug every 30 seconds, and also because we got to see a Colchester side that played in a stereotypical Adie Boothroyd team manner on a dreadful surface. Basically, “Hooooooooooooooooooof” !

The Albion had a lot of posession, and possibly could have done more with it. Murray was unlucky with a superb header early on, and later on in the half the Colchester keeper pulled off fantastic saves from El-Abd and Calderon. Frustratingly, you can’t help but think that if it had been anyone other than El-abd (Toblerone head, bit of a shortarse) then we might have gone in one nil up. At the other end though, Brezovan was catching everything in the air, and pulled off a smart save from Colchester’s huge bastard up front, as well as making a good take from a scissor kick that would probably have resulted in a goal had it gone a foot either side of him.

At this stage I must make a confession. If you haven’t already noticed, I can’t really remember the names of any of the Colchester players, largely because a) I couldn’t hear much in the pub, and b) I couldn’t really give a monkey’s who they are. But anyway, I digresss.

Glenn Murray was having an interesting game. Boothroyd had clearly given his team instructions to kick him all over the park. He must have been fouled at least 20 times tonight, which was impressive. However, twice he went down in the penalty area, once in either half. To be honest, he was looking for it, but as the ref showed at Leeds, if you’re fouled in the box then you should get a penalty, even if you are making a bit of a meal out of it. Dissappointingly though for the Albion striker, the penalty never materialised. In the second half, Glenn went close again; firstly when he could only just reach a Bennett free kick, and secondly when he cleverly dummied dummed another low ball in, and you’d have hoped someone like Forster would have been waiting to bury it.

That brings me to Forster. Apparently, he’s made up with Gus. But I’m not convinced, with Poyet again bringing on Holroyd and leaving Nicky on the bench. Holroyd ran around a lot, but never really got a chance to make an impression.

In honest, the second half was a bit of an anti-climax. Nothing else really happened - Brezovan looked assured at taking crosses, while the switch to 4-4-2 (the quiet Lua Lua substituted for Holroyd) didn’t make too much difference.

However, at Withdean earlier in the season Colchester were 2 up early on. Today, they didn’t look like scoring, which is a sign of how far things have come. Elphick looked a rock, the full backs looked solid and composed, and El-abd was similarly impressive.

On another day, we could have tucked in a chance up front, but it’s definitely a point gained for the Albion. A Colchester win tonight would have left them breathing on the next of “The” Leeds United, who are choking harder than a man buried 10ft underground at the moment. With performances like this, and with (on paper at least) only Swindon and Southampton left to play in games that most people would probably expect us to lose, you’ve really got to fancy our chances of staying up. Things certainly are looking up, and assuming we can keep on performing like we’ve done in the last 3 weeks or so, then things can only bode for next season, when we’ll hopefully be challenging for a promotion that would see us open Falmer in the Championship.

Sky Sports interviewing Glenn Murray and their Man of the Match Tommy Elphick.

The date of this years Robert Eaton Memorial Fund (REMF) Fixture has been set for 30th April, and will once again be held at Lewes Footbal Club.

The REMF was set up in the memory of Robert Eaton, a lifelong fan of Brighton and Hove Albion, who was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. The charity helps disadvantaged children to play football, whom without help may otherwise unable to.

Robert Eaton’s NSC username was “Ricky Marlowe’s Hairpeace”, in honour of the ageing ex Albion-striker. As a result, Marlowe is often a regular, and for the second year running, Albion legend Peter Ward should be making an appearance.

The Facebook event for the match can be found at the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150135734785537&ref=nf

Admission details are as follows:

The Robert Eaton Memorial Match 9

Brighton & Hove Albion Supporters
V
Crystal Palace Supporters

Friday April 30th * 7.45pm kick-off. Dripping Pan, Lewes. £5 adults, U16 £2
(but free if with adult).

Includes:
Bar
Raffle
Ward sales
Possible auction

The wearebrighton.com team will be there, and a few “Crocs on Tour” regulars will hopefully make the matchday squad.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Call me unprofessional if you like, but I’m going to write a few thoughts on the Albion at the moment using the handy tool of numbered bullet points. Why? Because I’m lazy. And because I don’t know how to do normal bullet points on here. And because I want to go out and watch the England game in a minute so don’t want to be drawn into another essay. Anyway, let’s get on with it….

1) New signing from Uraguary, via Stoke. I don’t actually know his name though. Still, a player who cost almost £3 million (rising to 5!) at the Albion is always worth a bit of excitement.

2) Diego Arismendi. Ok, I cheated and looked him up. But yeah, Arismendi gives Poyet a selection headache. The 5 man midfield of Lua-Lua, Dicker, Navarro, Crofts and Bennett has looked super of late. For once, a Premiership midfielder is actually going to have to fight for his place in our team!

3) Lua-Lua. I blogged the other day about how we should sign him. Well now he’s come out and said he wants to say. Do it Tony. Please!

4) Russell Slade. What’s he up to? I’d love to get his thoughts on some rather contrasting Albion signings. Liam Dickinson, James Tunicliffe, Graeme Smith and Gary Dicker, Elliott Bennett and Alan Navarro. Perhaps Russ could spot a good winger, but didn’t have much of a clue about other areas? Admittedly, that’s being a bit harsh on Tunnicliffe, who could yet have a bright future ahead.

5) Dean Cox. Is he on his way out? Doesn’t seem to have progressed since Wilkins left. Shame.

6) Gavin Hoyte. Does ANYONE know the point in that?

7) Looks like we’re staying up then. Or does it? Still, Colchester, Swindon and let’s face it, just about any game at Withdean are difficult fixtures. Let’s not count too many chickens just yet.

8 ) Interestingly, if you write 8 ) without the space in between, it gives you a stupid smiley face instead. Fascinating.

9) Saw in the Argus that Simon Cowell is probably going to get hitched in Rottingdean. Apparently, he’s an Albion fan.
Now, I know we’ve got Tony Bloom on side already, but I’m sure nobody would complain if Cowell suddenly decided to chuck a few quid our way….

10) ..well, apart from our friends at Sellhurst and Fratton Park, who strangely appear to be the ones who are now ’skint’. I hope they don’t go out of business, but I must say it’s rather fun watching them struggle.

Yep, that’s all for now. I’m off to watch John Terry get booed by the Wembley crowd, with commentary from Andy Townsend and Robbie Earle. Bloody hell!

So, another month, and we have another look at Albion related content on the worlds biggest video sharing site.

First, the We are Brighton team celebrate Murray’s goal at Leeds, including his fantastic celebration:

Now, check out the youtube user “Brightonseagulls11” who has taken to uploading highlights of games. Just don’t mention it to the copyright officials! Here we have both the cracking strikes against Charlton and Exeter.

Now we have Brighton vs Man United in the early 90’s, with a young David Beckham coming on the Goldstone pitch for his debut, to an audible chorus of “Who the f*cking hell are you?!”