Stoke City 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

[Thimble Keegan]

What an all round disaster today has been. We turned in a rather shabby performance and watch as all but one of the relegation fighting teams picked up points. We should not be hitting the panic button just yet but after our 2 good wins and sitting pretty we now have to keep a wary eye on the pack behind us.

With our 2 wins confidence should have been very good but it is now left in a fragile state. If we get a result down at Plymouth next week then today can be classed as a blip and we can carry on our survival bid...If we lose next week then confidence slides and we will start to sweat!!

I am going to start the football side of this report with something I am not happy with. One thing I do not like doing is having a pop at the ref as I understand their job is difficult and made even worse with the financial rewards for winning greater which leads to teams being under more pressure. This pressure transforms itself into a desperation to win and in turn to the ref being surrounded by players mid-game (just like Man U) or attacked through the media (Souness, Warnock, etc). For this I am normally very tolerant of ref's and never moan unless they really have made a glaring error...I can handle them getting minor things wrong as this gives us things to talk about in the pub and so on. Anyway, like I said I am normally tolerant...But today that tolerance snapped as we came across a complete arse of a referee.

The ref today was total log but was consistent as he was crap for both teams. He gave us free-kicks we blatantly should not have had and vice-versa. Like-wise in letting things go for both sides which should have been pulled up for. Luckily for them he was worse for us!!!

Being fair we were pretty poor today and were not at the races in the first half. It was a complete collective off-day with so many not performing. Throughout the match Nicolas looked decent and Knight worked hard and that is all I can say about our midfield and attack. This probably explained why we hardly troubled them at all in the first half.

Defence was a strange one as Butters & Hinshelwood looked assured and defened stoutly whilst up against some considerable pressure. Stoke were on top and had us pinned back for much of the first 45 but and this was compounded by our 2 full-backs not being on top form. This was none more shown up by Stoke's Kevin Harper who got past Harding time and again as they got in behind us.

Depite the pressure they had and the 'one-way traffic' feel to the game it prehaps should have finished 0-0 as they really looked like they had trouble hitting the target. Funny seeing as they have just sold a forward!!

That said we did not deserve anything today so fair enough I suppose...But the manner of the defeat was hard to take. What seemed like a normal 50-50 challenge in our box with McCammon and a Stoke player saw their bloke just fall down rather to easily and get a penalty. 1-0.

Five minutes later a ball comes into the box and a City player committs hand-ball but yet they get a penalty for it. 2-0. Bollocks.

By now Mchpee had already been subbed as he was slightly annonymous but really most of the team were having a stinker.

At half time McGhee brought off McCammon. Now a lot has been said about McCammon and recently some humble pie has been consumed on this subject. Well today that same pie can be regurgitated projectile vomit style. He was very poor but I do not want to go on about it too much as he was one of many.

The second half started better with a couple of shots on goal but it soon fizzled out. In truth we were more brighter in the second half but against a defence as mean as Stoke's it was a big ask for a come-back...Also we deserved nothing from the game.

A crap day really and I hope we do not see that ref anytime soon.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[Beach Hut]

Ref was a total ARSE big time

Good report though...........................

 

[Minge]

Good report apart from confusing Dan Harding (slim, white, blonde hair) and Mark McCammon (sturdy, black, huge) for the first penalty!

 

[London Irish]

Always a pleasure to read your footballing comments, Thimble, particularly on a strange day of media handbags like this, and I agree with a lot of what you say but not on some other things.

Re. your comments on the ref, McGhee when interviewed was pretty disgusted with his inconsistency and the soft decisions for the penalties.

McGhee stuck with the McPhee option, trying to get that Sunderland success going again. It looks like that didn't work because Stoke are very defensively well organised, after all they've been on a very good run of results recently. Never mind, McPhee was only playing because of Virgs' suspension, back to the reserves for him now to get match fit.

It was also bad luck for McGhee that Big Mac was ill during the game, he might literally be projectile vomiting right now, that was the reason for the subbing. Fingers crossed he'll be OK and recovered in time for next week. To get Virgs back but lose Big Mac would be a blow.

The 2nd pen was not handball but a push by Harding it looks like (Big Mac alleged foul for the first). But I wouldn't be surprised if many of your fellow travellers are also a bit mystified - SSN have shown just the second penalty decsion and it's the kind of shoulder-to-shoulder challenge you see all the time not get punished.

McGhee is a good manager but his tactics can't overcome suspensions, illness, a decent performance by the home team and a shit ref EVERY time. Chalk this up to experience, I reckon.

I doubt very much whether this defeat will affect our confidence one bit. We've been much, much lower than this and bounced back brilliantly, and I bet the team is seething as much as McGhee was in his interview. There'll be out all guns blazing to avenge this Cardiff-style setback at Plymouth.

 

[Race]

The 'ref was total log' Tank liked that!

He said the ref told him half way through the game that he hated being a ref

 

[Beach Hut]

Loved it today when we actually got a foul in our area against a forward - Tank pointed to the spot

 

[Race]

The ref gave 2nd penalty cos Tickle was 'holding' the player whose arm the ball hit and LI is right about it being harsh decision. Sky Sports blamed Hinsh for the 2nd penalty!

And talking of 'holding' Tank has come home with his torso scratched to bits from being pulled around by the Stoke players .............well thats wot hes told me anyway!

 

[Thimble Keegan]

Like most, I turn up, go in the ground and watch from afar so I get to miss details like McCammon's illness...Also 'pushing & shoving' in the box is just part of the game and only something can be spotted if it is blatantly a foul.

I know I made a mistake with McCammon/Harding but I just had our new forward on my mind at the time.

I take on board what was said about Stoke being a pretty handy team but it still does not excuse our own performance...Had we played as we have done recently we would have taken something from the game.

I am glad Tank liked my "Log" comment.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[Minge]

Not complaining TK, always nice to read something objective about the Albion.

Thought Stoke had a fair shout for a third pen just before half time too. Only consolation was that it was a better performance than against Cardiff (which was dire).

 

[mrhairy]

Best bit of the day was when we sang, "You've got a chav in your dugout."

 

[Race]

lads apppreciated(?)the chant "two nil to the referee". quality!

 

[Curious Orange]

'Twas fecking cold in the Britannia Stadium. Do you reckon they'll finish it so the wind doesn't get in?

 

[Northstander]

What an all round disaster today has been. We turned in a rather shabby performance and watch as all but one of the relegation fighting teams picked up points. We should not be hitting the panic button just yet but after our 2 good wins and sitting pretty we now have to keep a wary eye on the pack behind us.

With our 2 wins confidence should have been very good but it is now left in a fragile state. If we get a result down at Plymouth next week then today can be classed as a blip and we can carry on our survival bid...If we lose next week then confidence slides and we will start to sweat!!

I am going to start the football side of this report with something I am not happy with. One thing I do not like doing is having a pop at the ref as I understand their job is difficult and made even worse with the financial rewards for winning greater which leads to teams being under more pressure. This pressure transforms itself into a desperation to win and in turn to the ref being surrounded by players mid-game (just like Man U) or attacked through the media (Souness, Warnock, etc). For this I am normally very tolerant of ref's and never moan unless they really have made a glaring error...I can handle them getting minor things wrong as this gives us things to talk about in the pub and so on. Anyway, like I said I am normally tolerant...But today that tolerance snapped as we came across a complete arse of a referee.

The ref today was total log but was consistent as he was crap for both teams. He gave us free-kicks we blatantly should not have had and vice-versa. Like-wise in letting things go for both sides which should have been pulled up for. Luckily for them he was worse for us!!!

Being fair we were pretty poor today and were not at the races in the first half. It was a complete collective off-day with so many not performing. Throughout the match Nicolas looked decent and Knight worked hard and that is all I can say about our midfield and attack. This probably explained why we hardly troubled them at all in the first half.

Defence was a strange one as Butters & Hinshelwood looked assured and defened stoutly whilst up against some considerable pressure. Stoke were on top and had us pinned back for much of the first 45 but and this was compounded by our 2 full-backs not being on top form. This was none more shown up by Stoke's Kevin Harper who got past Harding time and again as they got in behind us.

Depite the pressure they had and the 'one-way traffic' feel to the game it prehaps should have finished 0-0 as they really looked like they had trouble hitting the target. Funny seeing as they have just sold a forward!!

That said we did not deserve anything today so fair enough I suppose...But the manner of the defeat was hard to take. What seemed like a normal 50-50 challenge in our box with McCammon and a Stoke player saw their bloke just fall down rather to easily and get a penalty. 1-0.

Five minutes later a ball comes into the box and a City player committs hand-ball but yet they get a penalty for it. 2-0. Bollocks.

By now Mchpee had already been subbed as he was slightly annonymous but really most of the team were having a stinker.

At half time McGhee brought off McCammon. Now a lot has been said about McCammon and recently some humble pie has been consumed on this subject. Well today that same pie can be regurgitated projectile vomit style. He was very poor but I do not want to go on about it too much as he was one of many.

The second half started better with a couple of shots on goal but it soon fizzled out. In truth we were more brighter in the second half but against a defence as mean as Stoke's it was a big ask for a come-back...Also we deserved nothing from the game.

A crap day really and I hope we do not see that ref anytime soon.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

That just about sumd up the Ref, Crewe revisited but Worse!!

I was pleased to get to the car!

Is there any colder ground than The Britannia!

Good report!

 

[Minge]

Re: Re: Stoke City 2-0 Brighton & Hove Albion

That just about sumd up the Ref, Crewe revisited but Worse!!

I was pleased to get to the car!

Is there any colder ground than The Britannia!

Good report!

Colder than the Britannia? Try Boundary Park

 

[stratford seagull]

Honest report.

IWe were definitely second-best, but without the penalties ... if we had got to half-time at 0-0 ... etc.

I thought the first pen was for McGammon on Duberry, who went to ground very easily for such a big centre half - but that is the way now and once Mark slid in, the guy was always going to fall over him somehow.

The second pen - no idea. If it was given for holding/pushing then he could have given about 5 similar penalties to them in the first half, and at least 2 to us in the second half - OGH got a clear shove in open play for one, and Guy was completely held so that he couldn't move on one free kick.

The clearest penalty for me was a handball by Hinsh in the first half straight after the second one, but even this ref decided 3 penalties in 5 minutes would be too much.

As for the performance, forget it and move on. Stoke are a very big team, and they played with the wind at their backs in the first half so it was always going to be hard - and although there were lots of scrambles I can't remember Rami making a save of any note. However, apart form the first 15 minutes of the second half we never really looked like scoring.

But we have made a habit of finding performances and results from nowhere, so I expect the wins required will come from the home games with Wigan and Reading.

Plus, for the sake of the team, as one of these 'away' fans, I'm not going again until Preston. An A&K donation was made to cover not going to certain matches, and the next two are on that list - and my record so far this season is 'Watched 10' W1 D1 L8.

P.S. It's a lovely morning here in sunny Stratford - I might just forget the Championship and go out for a walk.

 

[Fulton]

Having watched the championsip, we were cheated on both decisions:

 

[Thimble Keegan]

lads apppreciated(?)the chant "two nil to the referee". quality!

I also liked "Referee's Red & White Army" which made me laugh. Strange though as they thought the ref was crap as well. He was but they should not be complaining considering he gave them 2 pens.

I did not think the Brittannia was that cold to be honest...I must have warmed myself up by continually shouting at the ref.

Albion & England forever.

Thimble Keegan
Worthing BHA

 

[Curious Orange]

Fortunately yesterday wasn't just about the football for me, as I went up to Cheshire to visit my sister before the game.

But, now I need to go and wash my car because it appears to have ALL of the salt from the the A3, M25, M40, M42 and M6 on it!!

 

[Beach Hut]

Just spotted the bleeding obvious - what happened to Huddersfield Town

 

[kalinski]

we were truely terrible in the first half. No one seemed to quite know what they were doing. However, our forgetting the basics of how to play football were outshone by the Ref forgetting what the rules of football were.

Top quality both sets of fans singing abuse at him though!

Second half we showed our metal and were unlucky not to get it back to two all. Couple of great saves from their keeper, couple of efforts that just went wide and def penatly that the ref decided not to give.