[h=3]Poyet calls on fans to play part in Amex return[/h]9:00am Saturday 11th May 2013 in Albion By Andy Naylor
Dean Hammond goes close to scoring with a first-half header
ALBION boss Gus Poyet has appealed to fans to help his team take a “great opportunity” to reach the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Last night’s 0-0 draw in the first leg of the semi-final against arch-rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park gives the Seagulls a slight edge for the return leg at The Amex on Monday.
Poyet told The Argus: “I think it’s going to be another tight game. We need to try to make sure if we create a few chances we take advantage of them.
“We need the supporters. That extra man always helps the players. I am sure we will have that and it is going to be amazing for everybody.
“I think we are in a great position. We don’t have an advantage, I am still thinking it’s 50-50. If you want to give us five or ten per cent because we are playing at home I will take it but I think it’s a great opportunity.”
Albion showed why they finished fourth in the table, above Palace, with a fluent first half display followed by determined defending after the break.
Poyet said: “I would take a performance like the first half. The second half wasn’t good for my heartrate but seeing the way we performed with the calmness in the team, how we started passing the ball and controlling it was the best way for me to take a draw.
“Sometimes you have to take a draw because you are down to ten men or had a bad day but we performed in the first half and again showed we are a difficult team to beat in the second half.
“That was the idea, to extend the form we showed over 46 games into the play-offs. I thought we did exceptionally well and I am very pleased.”
Palace will be without 30-goal marksman Glenn Murray for the second leg. The former Albion striker was stretchered off in the second half with suspected cruciate knee ligament damage.
Andrea Orlandi hobbled off late on for Albion but Poyet revealed: “It was just tiredness and tightness. Everybody was a little bit tight at the end, because of the tension. We need to be quite pleased with the performance and the result.”
Original article
ALBION boss Gus Poyet has appealed to fans to help his team take a “great opportunity” to reach the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
Last night’s 0-0 draw in the first leg of the semi-final against arch-rivals Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park gives the Seagulls a slight edge for the return leg at The Amex on Monday.
Poyet told The Argus: “I think it’s going to be another tight game. We need to try to make sure if we create a few chances we take advantage of them.
“We need the supporters. That extra man always helps the players. I am sure we will have that and it is going to be amazing for everybody.
“I think we are in a great position. We don’t have an advantage, I am still thinking it’s 50-50. If you want to give us five or ten per cent because we are playing at home I will take it but I think it’s a great opportunity.”
Albion showed why they finished fourth in the table, above Palace, with a fluent first half display followed by determined defending after the break.
Poyet said: “I would take a performance like the first half. The second half wasn’t good for my heartrate but seeing the way we performed with the calmness in the team, how we started passing the ball and controlling it was the best way for me to take a draw.
“Sometimes you have to take a draw because you are down to ten men or had a bad day but we performed in the first half and again showed we are a difficult team to beat in the second half.
“That was the idea, to extend the form we showed over 46 games into the play-offs. I thought we did exceptionally well and I am very pleased.”
Palace will be without 30-goal marksman Glenn Murray for the second leg. The former Albion striker was stretchered off in the second half with suspected cruciate knee ligament damage.
Andrea Orlandi hobbled off late on for Albion but Poyet revealed: “It was just tiredness and tightness. Everybody was a little bit tight at the end, because of the tension. We need to be quite pleased with the performance and the result.”
Original article