Seeing the Amex from the air before Maupay sent us sky high

Monday 27th September 2021 is a day that will be remembered in infamy. Brighton secured a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park and unlike the previous two matches, I was able to watch it all unfold as my holiday came to an end. What a homecoming.

My journey began at 6am in Funchal in Madeira, Portugal. If all went 100 percent smoothly, then I would be back home and tuned into MNF on Sky Sports by the time Palace and the Albion were set to do battle.

Whilst eating my breakfast I checked the Flight Radar App and took a deep breath as I could see the outbound EasyJet flight had left Gatwick on time.

This was the main hurdle to jump. Had this outbound flight been delayed, then we would have been delayed leaving Maderia. That our plane was out of Gatwick when it should have been made the journey a lot less stressful.

The exercise of filling out extra paperwork, taking Covid-19 tests and putting information into passenger locator forms would next be put to the test.

Thankfully, this went like clockwork. Everyone on the flight got through the necessary checks in a timely manner, there were no delays and we landed back in England at 3.45pm having soared over the Amex on route. That felt like an omen for a successful night ahead.

After sailing through the eGates, we were back home to Crawley Down within an hour. The dog was picked up, we unpacked, had glorious fish and chips and finally, I took my place in front of the television for a nail-biting evening.

Nail biting it might have been, but at least there was no need to keep refreshing a live blog every 30 seconds on my phone like the Leicester game after somebody pulled the plug on MyAlbion TV.

Or have to try and listen unnoticed to radio commentary whilst having dinner at a restaurant with my wife and two friends like for the Swansea match. Two experiences I would rather not go through again.

I must say, I was very worried when I saw the players’ faces as they walked out the tunnel. I thought they all looked quite worried… but then it must be very daunting to have thousands of Palace fans booing you.

It was very nervy to watch, so much so that I had to change my seat from the settee as the springs cannot stand any further damage from overexcited reactions.

With the heavy pressing by Palace, it looked as if we might concede a goal in the first half. Then as the clock ran up to half time, I thought we were would safely make it in on level terms.

Nobody was going to do a Joel Veltman against Everton, were they? Wrong, Leandro Trossard did exactly that to take out Conor Gallager and that was it.

I never thought that Wilfried Zaha would miss the opportunity, even though I have so much faith in Robert Sanchez. I would have given big odds on Sanchez saving a shot had Gallagher got one away rather than be fouled and that was what made conceding a penalty disappointing.

The scene was now set for an interesting second half, during which Graham Potter made three changes to try and get a response. It was fairly obvious who the one player we needed was. Get well soon please, Yves!

Like all of us, I thought it was over and we had lost it as the game reached injury time. Never mind, or tant pis as they say in France.

Talking of the French, it was at that moment that our little Neal Diamond appeared. Maupay displayed the most incredible touch to lift the ball into the Palace goal in a game which, any other time, we would have lost. Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton, amazing.

It just goes to prove, as I have always been taught as a retired professional sportsman, that it is never over until the fat lady sings.

The Albion refused to give up and as we have seen so many times already this season, there is a sure determination to win through the day.

No, this may not have been a win and Brighton certainly did not play their best. But as Adam Lallana said in his interview on the Albion website, you cannot always be at your best.

The players now have a chance to rest up and train hard towards the end of the week, ready to show Arsenal exactly what Brighton are made of.

Seagulls may specialise in pinching things at the last minute and that is a trait the Albion have at the minute, but for the sake of our blood pressures I hope we score early – and I suspect one goal may not be enough…