The sound of home fans booing is music to Brighton ears

On a dark, dingy January day when the rain poured, we were all hoping that the Albion could bring some light into the evening by seeing off Everton at Goodison Park.

They certainly did that, winning 4-1 on what proved to be a very sticky night for the Toffees when you needed a Mackintosh to keep dry.

Brighton were amazing and not for the first time, the lads produced a performance on the road resulting in the home team being booed off.

I have lost count of the number of occasions this has happened now, but whenever it does it is music to Brighton ears and a real compliment to our club.

Everton fans had been very vocal in their criticism of their side last time Brighton went to Goodison, winning 3-2 last January.

Rafa Benitez had been in charge then and although they have since changed manager and put Frank Lampard in charge, the same problems continue which the Albion were able to take advantage of.

There were four changes to the Brighton side from the defeat to Arsenal. Evan Ferguson made his first Premier League start after scoring from the bench at home on New Year’s Eve.

Ferguson is showing tremendous potential at just 18 years of age; as one fan put it on social media, is he our new Glenn Murray?

Joel Veltman was back in the XI alongside Moises Caicedo after his one-match ban for five yellow cards with Jeremy Sarmiento coming in for his first Premier League start of the season.

Also of note was World Cup hero Alexis Mac Allister being back on the bench as part of his gentle reintroduction to the side.

I bet he found the pouring rain and howling wind of Liverpool a little different to four weeks in Qatar followed by all those celebrations in sunny Argentina. Welcome home, Alexis!

Our trusted BBC Radio Sussex commentary team of Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall had navigated the motorway system to reach the north west with the bad weather following them all the way from Sussex.

Listening to Johnny and Warren describing their seated position at Goodison is a reminder that being a commentator can be a challenging task.

They were squashed into a tiny space so cramped that neither could feel anything below their knees – although Warren did admit that this may have been because he had put on more weight at Christmas than first thought.

Radio commentators will be looking forward to Everton’s new £500 million stadium at the docklands which the Toffees hope to occupy for the 2024-25 season. Will it open in the Premier League or the Championship?

Brighton took to the turf in their bright crimson kit as the usual Everton theme of Z Cars played over the airwaves.

The Toffees were kicking towards the famous Gladys Street End, bringing back memories for Aspinall who played as a striker for Everton many years ago.

I listened intently as our commentators told us Everton looked really up for it, winning all the early 50/50 challenges.

The Toffees should have taken the lead when a Demari Gray free kick was floated over the Albion defence to Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

He found Alex Iwobi, who let rip with a shot beautifully saved by Robert Sanchez just getting his left hand to the ball and putting it beyond the far post.

Brighton came into the game after that. Solly March broke down the right, easily beat Vitalii Mykolenko and crossed to the middle for Kaoru Mitoma to put a header over the bar.

Mitoma should have done better with the chance. All was forgiven not long after, however. Caicedo played a great ball to the left to find Mitoma.

He snaked his way into the penalty area, carried out a lovely swivel and slotted past Jordan Pickford to give the Albion a 14th minute lead.

I was up and out of my seat, meaning the settee springs are starting to suffer again. Little could I have predicted they would be hammered three further times over the next hour.

If Brighton keep scoring goals at their current rate under Roberto De Zerbi, I am going to need a whole new sofa by the time the season is out.

March went on another good run from the Albion box, slipping a pass to Caicedo who accelerated away. Caicedo found Mitoma again on the left and his chipped ball into the box was met by Ferguson.

The young man hit a sweet volley which clipped the wrong side of the Everton post. It was another chance that should have been done better with, but like Mitoma early we had reasons to forgive Ferguson not long after.

Ferguson almost had a goal before half time with an incredible shot from 25 yards. It just brushed the top of Pickford’s crossbar. Had it been on target, it surely would have gone in.

Sanchez had to make another intervention with a great save from Dwight McNeil to ensure Brighton went into the break ahead.

Little did we know what was about to unfold in the first 15 minutes of the second half. Ferguson scored what you would call a poacher’s goal, popping a chipped cross from Sarmiento into the back of the net to give the Albion a 2-0 lead.

I enjoyed a celebratory cup of tea. Barely had a mouthful been swallowed and the cup put back on the table before Johnny was getting very excited about something March was doing, weaving in from the right.

March composed himself, got a low shot away and beat Pickford diving to his right to make it 3-0. Watch back the extended highlights and the expression on De Zerbi’s face is quite a picture.

What happened next was amazing. A strong Caicedo challenge broke up an Everton attack, leaving the Toffees with the ball on the half way line.

A really bad back pass enabled the Pascal Gross express train to poach the ball, race down the centre of the pitch and beautifully chip Pickford to score despite the best efforts of Myolenko to clear off the line.

Everton 0-4 Brighton and Gross running 40 yards with the ball to score. It was now embarrassing for the Toffees, something Warren was keen to tell us as he said home fans were leaving in droves.

Those who remained were so silent that Goodison began to resemble a library rather than a football stadium. Until the booing at the final whistle, anyway.

There were three minutes remaining when Everton fans had something finally to cheer. Sanchez collided with Iwobi and as the Brighton goalkeeper got nothing of the ball only man, referee Andre Marriner had no option but to award a penalty.

Such an error should be seen as a learning curve for Sanchez, who was denied a clean sheet when Gray converted to make it Everton 1-4 Brighton.

Then came those boos. Everton sunk into the relegation zone whilst Brighton climbed back into eighth, full of confidence ahead of facing the red half of Liverpool at the Amex next.

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony