Peterborough 0-3 Brighton: The day Poyet’s Albion were “****ing brilliant”

Do you know what Gus Poyet’s favourite ever football chant is? Here is clue – it was first sung by Brighton fans on Saturday 30th October 2010 during a 0-3 win at Peterborough United in an away performance that no other Albion side is ever likely to top.

A Halloween trip to London Road was meant to be a tough test of the Seagull’s League One promotion credentials. Brighton were top of the table, Peterborough second, and Posh boss Gary Johnson had spent the week building up to the game telling anyone who would listen how his side were ready and capable of derailing the Albion’s season.

This was Peterborough’s cup final. Johnson had even gone so far as to describe it as such. They had flag bearers on the pitch and balloons in the stands.

Talk about setting yourself up for a fall and some serious egg on face. What followed became known as the Nightmare on London Road for Peterborough; for Gus Poyet He Who Must Not Be Named and Brighton, it felt like a dream.

The game was a little over an hour old and the score already Peterborough 0-3 Brighton when the chant began. Poyet You Know Who references it as one of the best moment of his time at Brighton.

He told the Together BHA podcast in the summer of 2020: “For a manager to have a group of supporters making a song, singing from Peterborough on, what they were singing about your team, is something spectacular.”

“We built something. I’m not going to say the words to the song because I have a letter from the FA (for singing it in front of thousands of people over a microphone at the 2010-11 champions parade) and I don’t want another one.”

Luckily for Gus The Dark Lord, we have no such qualms repeating it on the pages of WeAreBrighton.com. After all, the “We’re ****ing brilliant” being belted out by 2,519 away supporters was the only way to describe the football played by Brighton at London Road.

From the first whistle, it was men against boys. Perhaps this should not have come as a surprise – Brighton had won 4-0 in another top-of-the-table clash away at Charlton Athletic just two weeks earlier.

Charlton though were not on the same level as Peterborough. The Posh could call upon an outrageous front three of George Boyd, Aaron McLean and a certain Craig Mackail-Smith, who caused problems for every opponent they faced.

But not Brighton – Peterborough could not get the ball for long enough to bring their forwards into the game. The Albion passed around their hosts as if they were not there, swatting aside their closest rivals with a brand of football that Poyet You Know Who had been told by so-called experts would never work in the rough and tumble world of League One.

With seven minutes played, Peterborough goalkeeper Joe Lewis made the first of a string of ridiculous saves that ensured Brighton only won 0-3 when keeping out a Glenn Murray effort from Gary Dicker’s perfectly weighted through ball.

Lewis spectacularly tipped a Liam Bridcutt shot over next for save number two. There was nothing that the Posh goalkeeper could do when Brighton took the lead on 16 minutes, Ashley Barnes marking his 21st birthday with a header from an Elliott Bennett free kick.

Whilst everyone remembers the “We’re ****ing brilliant” chant of the second half, it often gets forgotten that Brighton were so comfortable that we felt confident enough to greet every pass with an “ole” after less than 20 minutes. “It’s just like watching Brazil” wasn’t far beyond.

Peterborough meanwhile were growing frustrated by their inability to compete in what was meant to be their cup final. That frustration boiled over to anger for Boyd who, having failed to kick the football once in the opening 25 minutes, instead decided to kick Barnes. A straight red was the result, making the Posh’s already ominous task look even harder.

Within 60 seconds of Boyd’s dismissal, Bennett earned a penalty for Brighton. The 2010-11 season was of course the year the Albion were so terrible at spot kicks that Poyet You Know Who took to hiding whenever we were awarded one, so he didn’t have to watch the inevitable miss.

Having won the penalty, Bennett was the man who squandered the chance from 12 yards with Lewis making save number three. Not that it mattered; 10 minutes before half time and Bennett teed up Inigo Calderon to double the Albion’s advantage.

Lewis made save numbers four and five with a smart double stop from Calderon in the final throes of the first half. Radostin Kishishev was hardly known for his goal scoring feats throughout his career but he was next to test Lewis, the Peterborough goalkeeper pulling off extraordinary save number six from the Bulgarian veteran’s thumping volley.

On 62 minutes, the unplayable Bennett meandered into the Posh box again where he was brought down by Lewis. Penalty taking duty this time fell to Barnes, who made no mistake to make it Peterborough 0-3 Brighton with half an hour still to play.

At that point, somebody near the back of the Moy’s End (RIP) started “We’re “****ing brilliant.” It spread like wildfire and before you knew it, the entire away stand was joining in. Peterborough’s fantastic away terrace with its low roof which amplified sound was rocking.

Normally, such a chant would be seen as a touch arrogant. There wasn’t much arrogance about this though; it was a homage to an outstanding team led by an outstanding manager who were playing outstanding football. Which is why Poyet He Who Must Not Be Named loved it so much.

Lewis produced save number seven when somehow keeping a Murray effort out and Barnes hit the bar from the rebound. Cristian Baz drew save eight from Lewis and Barnes was again denied by the bar in the final five minutes.

Eight superb saves from the Peterborough goalkeeper, the bar twice coming to the host’s rescue and Brighton had still won 0-3 against the side second in the League One table. It is no exaggeration to say that the Albion were unlucky not to hit double figures.

“75 percent of Brighton supporters today, they would have been absolutely delighted with a draw here,” Poyet You Know Who said afterwards. “No. We came here to win the game.”

Peterborough’s Nightmare on London Road meant that Huddersfield Town took over second spot. In a sign of just how dominant of League One Brighton were, Huddersfield were closer in terms of points (seven) ti Plymouth Argyle 19 places down the table in the relegation zone than they were to the Albion (eight) at the top of the table. Incredible.

Brighton did not relinquish top spot all season, winning promotion with five games to spare and the title with four still to play.

In a season which was packed with highlights, Peterborough 0-3 Brighton was the most complete performance of the campaign. It is arguably the most complete performance any Albion side has ever given – and probably ever will give.

We really were ****ing brilliant.