[h=3]Albion boss targets top four finish[/h]11:00am Tuesday 16th April 2013 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Gus Poyet says it is a big advantage to play at home second in the play-off semi-finals
Albion boss Gus Poyet has targeted a top four finish in the Championship to secure a home advantage boost.
Poyet’s first goal is the top six to clinch a play-off spot but he would love to be playing a second leg at The Amex.
The Seagulls go to Peterborough tonight for their penultimate away fixture in fifth place, with a two-point cushion over Nottingham Forest in seventh and a point behind fourth-placed arch-rivals Crystal Palace, who have a game in hand.
The teams finishing third and fourth get home advantage in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals and Poyet believes that would be a big advantage.
He told The Argus: “It’s very important because in a close game when you are playing the second leg at home and for any reason you go to extra-time all that counts.
“It’s your pitch, it’s your fans, it’s totally different and it’s always very important. People don’t realise when you are going to play key games how important the home advantage is.
“If you give me the chance in any competition to get back to your home stadium it’s always a plus. Imagine in a semi-final of a play-off? It would be amazing to have a second leg at The Amex, so the more points we get the better for us.
“But I think the first aim is to finish in the top six, then we’ll see where we finish, where we play, who the rest are, but it would be very nice.
“I don’t think it was in the mind of anyone maybe two months ago that we had any chance to finish in the top four, which would be amazing, so we’ll see. We will try.”
Albion’s visit to London Road coincides with a potentially pivotal night in the play-off race, with sixth-placed Bolton at eighth-placed Leicester and Forest away to Middlesbrough, where the Seagulls won 2-0 on Saturday to put themselves in the driving seat.
Two-page preview of tonight's game against Peterborough including an interview with Andrea Orlandi in The Argus today
Original article
Albion boss Gus Poyet has targeted a top four finish in the Championship to secure a home advantage boost.
Poyet’s first goal is the top six to clinch a play-off spot but he would love to be playing a second leg at The Amex.
The Seagulls go to Peterborough tonight for their penultimate away fixture in fifth place, with a two-point cushion over Nottingham Forest in seventh and a point behind fourth-placed arch-rivals Crystal Palace, who have a game in hand.
The teams finishing third and fourth get home advantage in the second leg of the play-off semi-finals and Poyet believes that would be a big advantage.
He told The Argus: “It’s very important because in a close game when you are playing the second leg at home and for any reason you go to extra-time all that counts.
“It’s your pitch, it’s your fans, it’s totally different and it’s always very important. People don’t realise when you are going to play key games how important the home advantage is.
“If you give me the chance in any competition to get back to your home stadium it’s always a plus. Imagine in a semi-final of a play-off? It would be amazing to have a second leg at The Amex, so the more points we get the better for us.
“But I think the first aim is to finish in the top six, then we’ll see where we finish, where we play, who the rest are, but it would be very nice.
“I don’t think it was in the mind of anyone maybe two months ago that we had any chance to finish in the top four, which would be amazing, so we’ll see. We will try.”
Albion’s visit to London Road coincides with a potentially pivotal night in the play-off race, with sixth-placed Bolton at eighth-placed Leicester and Forest away to Middlesbrough, where the Seagulls won 2-0 on Saturday to put themselves in the driving seat.
Two-page preview of tonight's game against Peterborough including an interview with Andrea Orlandi in The Argus today
Original article