Vote for your WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month for April 2013
Brighton and Hove Albion certainly picked a good month to put in their strongest performances of the season, securing three wins and three draws in April to book their spot in the Championship play offs.
The month began with draws at home to Chartlon Athletic and Leicester City but what followed after that was nothing short of remarkable. Andrea Orlandi and David Lopez scored to secure a first ever win at the Riverside Stadium against Middlesbrough and then there was a record Amex win as Blackpool were hammered 6-1.
Ashley Barnes returned from his seven game ban with a brace in the win over the Tangerines with Will Buckley, Matthew Upson, Andrea Orlandi and David Lopez the other scorers. In between the Boro and Blackpool games was a 0-0 draw at Peterborough United but they were the last dropped points of the month as Leonardo Ulloa’s 88th minute header at Elland Road ensured yet another game with The Leeds United was decided in the last few minutes, the 2-1 win ensuring the Albion will be involved in the three game shot out for a spot in the Premier League in 2013-14.
So many players have contributed to the 12 point haul that it is a ridiculously long shortlist of 11 names we are asking you to select from for the WeAreBrighton.com April player of the month.
Ashley Barnes
His stupidity in tripping over the referee away at Bolton cost him a seven game ban but with Leonard Ulloa crying out for a rest, he was straight back in the team for two goals and a man-of-the-match performance in the rout of Blackpool.
Liam Bridcutt
Rested for the visit to Leeds but otherwise another impressive month for the defensive midfielder who continues to make the Albion tick. If the Albion don’t make the Premier League next season, it’s hard to see how he will remain at the Amex with plenty of top flight clubs interested in his services.
Wayne Bridge
Rested at Leeds, he was otherwise outstanding in a month in which he was named in the Championship Team of the Year and got engaged to Frankie from The Saturdays. We’re not sure which is better.
Will Buckley
Finally got a run of games following a stop-start season since Gus Poyet compared him to Wilfried Zaha in November. He scored in back-to-back matches in the rout over Blackpool and in the victory over Leeds.
Gordon Greer
Imperious in the games in which the Albion kept clean sheets against Charlton, Middlesbrough and Peterborough. His budding partnership with Matthew Upson has been one of the main reasons behind the recent good form.
Tomasz Kuszczak
Returned from missing the 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest at the end of March with a typically robust performance and clean sheet against Charlton. His performances at home to Leicester and away at Peterborough were also vital in ensuring points were garnered from those two games.
David Lopez
Another month, another two goals for Spanish Dave. He scored the calmest lob you are ever likely to see when put through on goal away at Middlesbrough and followed that up with a goal against Blackpool. He is out of contract come the end of the season, a situation Gus Poyet needs to be looking to address immediately.
Kazenga LuaLua
Doesn’t do his reputation as being best used from the bench when he is coming on to set Ashley Barnes up for two goals against Blackpool and rescuing a point with a late trademark goal in the 1-1 draw at home to Leicester.
Andrea Orlandi
One of last seasons major problems was a lack of goals from midfield. Alongside David Lopez, he has really addressed that issue, adding another two to his tally in the wins over Middlesbrough and Blackpool.
Leonardo Ulloa
Finally got his much needed rest when Ashley Barnes returned against Blackpool, he followed that up with the late winner at Leeds. He continues to bring so much more to the team than his goal scoring which begs the question, where would the Albion be if he’d been here from the start of the season? Promoted, we reckon.
Matthew Upson
His arrival from Stoke City in January has led to the Albion having automatic promotion form in the second half of the season. Throw in the fact that we are yet to lose a game in which he has partnered Gordon Greer, and you have one of the major reasons for our success since the turn of the year.
