Brighton and Hove Albion have developed a real fondness of going 2-0 down in Premier League games so far in 2018-19.
It’s happened in four out of their five fixtures. Watford, Fulham, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur have all been allowed to go two goals ahead before the Albion belatedly began playing. Remarkably, they actually managed to salvage draws in the games with the Cottagers and the Saints.
That’s remarkable because in the previous 20 seasons, Brighton had only ever come from 2-0 down to rescue something on 11 occasions. From Steve Sidwell scoring twice in 90 seconds to Paul Emblen scoring the most unlikely hat-trick in arguably the Albion’s best ever comeback, here are all the Albion’s two goal comebacks since 1997.
Brentford 3-3 Brighton, February 5th 2017
Tomer Hemed’s 97th minute equaliser gave the Albion a point from an extraordinary game away at Brentford
Brighton’s Championship promotion bid was beginning to stall when they rocked up at Griffin Park in February 2017. They’d lost three of their previous five games and they quickly found themselves 2-0 down at Griffin Park to goals from Jota and Harlee Dean. It nearly got worse when the Bees were awarded a penalty but David Stockdale brilliantly kept out Lasse Vibe’s spot kick. Solly March and Shane Duffy followed that by scoring in the space of three second half minutes but Konstantin Kerschbaumer struck what looked a fatal blow with a 94th minute thunderbolt. The Albion dug deep and remarkably found the will to net another, Tomer Hemed scoring with a 97th minute header to round off an extraordinary game.
Brighton 3-2 Charlton Athletic, December 5th 2015
Bobby Zamora equalises against Charlton Athletic. He wasn’t bad for a geriatric…When struggling Charlton Athletic visited the Amex in December 2015, they did so to take on a Brighton side who were 19 games undefeated since the start of the season. The Addicks made a mockery of the clubs respective league positions though, storming into a 2-0 lead inside of five minutes through Ademola Lookman and Reza Ghoochanneijhad. James Wilson netted his first Albion goal five minutes after the restart and eight minutes later Patrick Bauer saw red. Charlton held onto their lead until the 83rd minute when Bobby Zamora struck the equaliser and then two minutes later substitute Hemed netted what proved to be the winner.
Brighton 2-2 Reading, December 26th 2014
Nathan Jones’ first game in charge saw the Albion come back from 2-0 down to draw with Reading Nathan Jones’ first game in caretaker charge following the sacking of Sami Hyypia came on Boxing Day 2014 against Reading. A certain Glenn Murray scored twice inside of the first 30 minutes for the visitors before Jake Forster-Casey pulled one back five minutes before half time. Whatever caretaker boss Nathan Jones said at the break clearly worked as Inigo Calderon netted a last-minute equaliser and the Albion took that momentum into their next game away at Craven Cottage, winning 2-0 against Fulham to round off a memorable two games in the hot seat for Jones before the appointment of Hughton.
Brighton 2-2 Millwall, December 18th 2012
David Lopez keeps a cool, slightly bald head to net a last minute penalty against Millwall Gus Poyet’s Albion side had won just three times in 10 Championship games and pressure was building after a summer in which the likes of Tomasz Kuszczak, Wayne Bridge, Andrea Orlandi and David Lopez had all arrived. Poyet’s answer was to switch to three at the back for the visit of Millwall, which proved to be an unmitigated disaster. The Lions scored twice through former title winning Albion striker Chris Wood and Lewis Dunk was hauled after 39 sorry minutes for Kazenga LuaLua as Poyet quickly returned to a back four. It was LuaLua who pulled one back on the hour mark and then Lopez kept his cool to slot home an 88th minute penalty.
Brighton 2-2 Watford, April 17th 2012
David Gonzalez had a debut to forget despite the Albion coming from 2-0 down to draw with Watford A 6-0 defeat away at West Ham United three days earlier had all but ended Brighton’s slim chances of making the Championship play offs. As a result, Poyet decided to give a debut to Colombian goalkeeper David Gonzalez for the visit of Watford to the Amex. In truth, he’d have been better off selecting a random supporter from the North Stand who’d had 15 pints before the game. Gonzalez was dreadful, watching a Sean Murray free-kick sail over his head and then conceding from a Troy Deeney penalty. There was even sarcastic cheering when he managed to catch one goal bound effort. Second half goals from Inigo Calderon and Will Buckley eventually rescued a point.
Brighton 3-3 Leeds United, September 23rd 2012
Craig Mackail-Smith makes it 3-2 against Leeds United…. only to see Ross McCormack score seven minutes later for the visitors Seven months before that comeback over Watford, the Albion rallied from 2-0 down to take a point off Leeds United. Andy Keogh and Ross McCormack put the Champions of Europe 2-0 to the good at half time. Craig Mackail-Smith pulled one back two minutes after the break and Ashley Barnes netted a penalty on the hour mark to level things. Mackail-Smith then scored his second and Brighton’s third with just five minutes remaining but Poyet’s side weren’t quite able to see things out as McCormack notched his second in injury time to ensure it finished level at 3-3.
Brighton 3-2 Leicester City, October 28th 2008
Not a bad debut – Bradley Johnson scores twice in his first Albion appearance as Leicester City are defeated One of the more remarkable games that took place at Withdean saw League One leaders Leicester City visit the Theatre of Trees. Micky Adams’ Brighton were really struggling at this point and it was little surprise to anybody that the Foxes sauntered into a 2-0 lead through a Matty Fryatt brace. Several supporters walked out of Withdean at half time, which led to that infamous North Stand Chat thread from one disgruntled fan who’d logged on when he got home to demand Adams’ head, only to discover that we’d actually ended up winning 3-2. At the break, Adams removed high-profile signing Robbie Savage – he wouldn’t play for the club again – and Kevin McLeod with Dean Cox and Kevin Thornton entering the fray. The result was a second half double from debutant Bradley Johnson and a last minute own goal from Jack Hobbs which gave the Albion a shock success over that season’s eventual champions.
Brighton 2-2 Burnley, December 28th 2002
An 18-year-old called Steve Sidwell scores twice in 90 seconds against Burnley. Wonder what happened to him? When Burnley visited Withdean in December 2002, they found themselves 2-0 to the good through Glen Little and Ian Thomas-Moore and entering stoppage time and with all three points surely heading back to Turf Moor. The majority of the home crowd certainly thought so as the South Stand emptied and headed to the traditional leaving position of “the track.” That was until an 18-year-old Steve Sidwell give one of the greatest individual impositions on a game in Albion history, scoring twice in 90 seconds to rescue a point for Steve Coppell’s side.
Preston North End 2-2 Brighton, November 23rd 2002
Chris Lucketti gives Preston the lead, but another Brighton comeback was on the cards
That wasn’t the first first time that Sidwell had played his part in a comeback point. One month previously he’d netted his first Albion goal since joining on-loan from Arsenal in a 2-2 draw at Preston North End. Chris Lucketti and Richard Cresswell had PNE in a commanding position, only for Simon Rodger to score eight minutes after the break, setting up the platform for Sidwell’s equaliser with 20 minutes remaining.
Notts County 2-2 Brighton, October 23rd 2001
“Welcome to Brighton Mr Taylor – we don’t do things the easy way here”Peter Taylor could’ve been forgiven for thinking managing Brighton would be a walk in a park after his first game, a routine 3-0 win over Oldham Athletic. He got a reality check three days later away at Notts County as Nick Fenton and Ian Richardson ensured that County had a two goal lead with just half an hour remaining. Taylor made three quick-fire changes, throwing on Jones, Paul Rogers and German pornstar Dirk Lehmann and that boldness was rewarded as Gary Hart and Bobby Zamora secured a 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane.
Brighton 2-2 Chester City, August 15th 1998
Richie Barker gets the comeback started against Chester City Brighton picked up their first point of the 1998-99 season but they did it the hard way against Chester City. Chester went 1-0 ahead inside of 60 seconds through Alex Smith and David Flitcroft made it 2-0 on the hour mark from the penalty spot. Substitute Richard Barker was thrown on and justified the decision by pulling one back on 69 minutes and then the unfortunate Mattie Woods netted an own goal as the spoils were shared.
Brighton 4-4 Colchester United, December 26th 1997
Worst Brighton team in history? No problem for Paul Emblen as he nets a hat-trick against Colchester Nobody who trekked all the way to Gillingham on Boxing Day 1997 will forget their experience at the Priestfield Stadium for Colchester United’s visit for two reasons. The first was that they’d have spent the whole day wondering what the hell they were doing with their life, spending Boxing Day in Gillingham. The second was Paul Emblen. Brighton had been 3-0 down at half time to an Isaiah Rankin brace and a Tony Adcock goal and heading for yet another defeat. Then on-loan Charlton Athletic striker Emblen went mad, notching a second half hat-trick to launch arguably the most remarkable Brighton comeback ever. The game eventually finished 4-4, Jeff Minton scoring a late penalty to equalise after United had retaken the lead through Scott Stamps.
