Hide behind the settee Sunday until Lamptey and Welbeck turned it around

The lucky ones were off to the King Power Stadium to see Brighton take on Leicester. For the rest of us, it was listening to BBC Radio Sussex from the warmth of our homes – an experience also forced upon Graham Potter and Billy Reid.

Okay, so they were probably linked up to the game via some sort of feed and not relying on Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall to describe what was going on.

First team coach Bjorn Hamberg took charge in the absence of Graham and Billy, ably assisted by Bruno sitting right alongside him in a situation that was quite unexpected after both the Albion’s manager and assistant were struck down with Covid-19.

It just goes to show that Covid is still out there and we must all still take some precautions. I could not help but wonder though if Potter’s settee springs would take the same sort of bashing mine have when celebrating at home moments in matches I have been unable to attend?

Pre-game thoughts about Graham’s settee turned out to be a case of counting chickens before they had hatched. There was no chance of any springs taking a bashing at the homes of Brighton fans listening in as it instead turned out to be a first half spent hiding behind the settee with Leicester being much the better side.

The Albion struggled to string together those wonderful passing moves we have seen of late. Johnny and Warren told us after 28 minutes that Brighton’s passing had been very ragged with a tone of concern regular listeners know we have hardly heard so far this season.

It sounded as though Brighton were just not at it in the first half. You wondered how long before Hamberg turned to the bench, where Tariq Lamptey and Danny Welbeck sat along with Lewis Dunk, in the Albion squad for the first time in six weeks. It is great to know that our captain fantastic will be back on the pitch very soon.

A rare moment of Brighton excitement occurred in the one minute of first half stoppage time. The front line of Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay combined with Trossard crossing to his partner who unfortunately did not find the back of the net.

There was a certain sigh of relief at going into the break at 0-0. Did Potter feel the same as he went to make himself a cup of tea at half time, before hopefully having a word with the squad via Zoom?

If Potter did speak to the players than whatever he said did not appear to work. The whistle went to restart the game, the ball bounced around the Albion’s half for no more than 30 seconds and Paston Daka ended up putting it into the back of the net.

The Albion were 1-0 down before a lot of fans would have had the opportunity to even take their place on (or behind) the settee.

It is quite incredible how this squad do not ever give up. They knew they had been bad in the first half. They knew they had made a poor start to the second. And yet they continued to drive on.

Alexis Mac Allister popped one over the bar. Then came the changes as off went Pascal Gross and Steve Alzate to be replaced by Welbeck and Lamptey.

When you have two players of the quality of Welbeck and Lamptey who can come onto the turf, then you know that it is never over. Brighton possess subs who can make a difference.

It was not long before Lamptey’s wizardry was showing and Welbeck became the first Brighton player to really test Kasper Schmeichel with a header from his fellow substitute’s cross.

Brighton kept pushing and it paid off. Maupay placed a pinpoint ball onto Welbeck’s head and he powered past Schmeichel, making it 1-1 with yet another goal in the final 10 minutes of a game.

Unlike some of those recent late equalisers against West Ham, Southampton and Chelsea, there were enough minutes left on this occasion to push for victory.

Dan Burn thought he had given it to Brighton. Another great corner from Mac Allister was headed towards goal and seemed to be going into the left corner until Youri Tielemans cleared off the line. Watching back the highlights, you could see what a great attempt it was from Burn.

With Solly March also on and delivering testing crosses, Brighton were first to everything. If anyone was going to win it from that point, it was the Albion.

“Careful, Tony” I said to myself when bouncing up and down on the settee. By now I was too excited to give much thought to what was happening to the furniture in the Potter household.

That big chance to secure victory came right near the end. March put in another cracking ball and Trossard hit an unbelievable shot kept out by an even better Schmeichel save.

The stop from the Leicester captain ensured it finish Leicester 1-1 Brighton. In the end, a fair result probably as both teams had their time on top.

Brighton though where a different outfit in the second half. If we can take that into out next game at Spurs in the FA Cup on February 5th, then who knows what can happen at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

Let us hope the players enjoy their rest, Graham and Billy recover soon and this wonderful fighting spirit from the squad continues. Up the Albion!

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony