Brighton 2-1 Doncaster: Fans’ photos of the day Brighton came home

After 14 long years, Brighton & Hove Albion finally played a league game at a home ground they owned as Doncaster Rovers were beaten 2-1 in the first competitive fixture at the Amex Stadium – and we have 39 photos taken by fans of the day.

Facing Doncaster was a rematch of the final game at the Goldstone Ground from 1997, since when the Albion had rattled through three grounds, three chairman, countless managers, four promotions and two relegations.

The Albion won 1-0 against Rovers on that day, Stuart Storer scoring the only goal of the game to lift Steve Gritt’s side off the bottom of the Football League for the first time in five months. The great escape from relegation was completed with a 1-1 draw at Hereford United a week later.

Doncaster did not seem like they wanted to be such accommodating visitors to Sussex in 2011. Billy Sharp gave Rovers a first half lead before having his career nearly ended by Lewis Dunk (according to some hysterical Donny fans, at least. Sharp was back within a couple of months).

Gus Poyet also found himself sent to the stands in the first half as the emotion of the occasion became too much for the enigmatic Albion boss. This despite Poyet speaking in the press during the build up to the game about the importance of managing the occasion. Classic Gus.

Despite no longer being in the dugout, Poyet still managed to change the game. Substitute Will Buckley levelled things up and that was only the start for the £1.5 million winger who would go onto have one of the most memorable debuts in Albion history.

As the game ticked into the 96th minute, fellow replacement Craig Noone sent Buckley in one-on-one and he made no mistake, scoring a winner which nearly lifted the roof off the stadium. It was the perfect way to open Brighton’s new home.

If you have any photos you’d like included our Brighton 2-1 Doncaster Rovers gallery, please e-mail them to wearebrighton@hotmail.co.uk or tweet them to us @wearebrighton