Brighton and Hove Albion (4) 5
Baxter (2 OGs), Ryan, Ward, ClarkPreston North End (0) 1
Cochrane
Division Two, 30th September 1978
Attendance: 19,182
It was a week of ups and down for the Seagulls, who had lost 4-1 to Leicester a week before. Mullery was moved to disown the side: “That team you saw at Leicester wasn’t mine. They weren’t my players.”
Albion roared back with a battling 2-2 draw at league leaders Stoke City in midweek before this demolition job of Nobby Stiles’s Preston team.
Despite the heavy defeat, the Lilywhites were a decent side, and eventually finished in seventh position. For the Albion, promotion beckoned at the end of a glorious campaign. The Seagulls’ penultimate defeat in 1978/79 came in a 1-0 loss in February.
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Brighton
1. Eric Steele- Was about to be dropped in favour of Graham Moseley following a 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, but came back in the side from February onwards.2. Ken Tiler- Was also dropped in the season, in December, with Chris Cattlin taking over at right-back for the remainder of 1978/79.
3. Gary Williams- Former Preston left-back. Gave a great performance against his former side.
4. Brian Horton- Club skipper who helped Albion to a dominant 4-0 lead with a strong midfield performance.
5. Andy Rollings- It was wonderful turnaround for Rollings who had played in Brighton’s 4-0 home defeat to Preston in October 1974.
6. Mark Lawrenson- His superb all-round play must have had Preston fans and directors uneasy about his departure to Brighton.
7. Gerry Ryan- Scored with a header in this match, his impressive home debut, after being signed from Derby County.
8. Peter Ward- Followed up scoring against Stoke in midweek with another strike.
9. Teddy Maybank- Had scored a late equaliser at Stoke in midweek but was still waiting for his first Albion goal at the Goldstone in the 1978/79 campaign.
10. Paul Clark- This tough-tackling midfielder scored his first goal of the season in this match to make it five.
11. Peter Sayer- Went on to join Preston North End in 1980 as his time with Brighton came to a close.
Preston
1.Roy Tunks- Joined the club from Rotherham United in November 1974. A former Sussex Schools player.
2.Danny Cameron- Had a torrid game as a makeshift right-back and was withdrawn by boss Nobby Stiles after 40 minutes.
3.Harry Wilson- Left-back who made 130 league appearances for Brighton before joining North End in July 1977.
4.Francis Burns- A former Manchester United and Southampton midfielder. Made 21 league appearances in the 1978/79 season.
5.Mick Baxter- This central defender had the unwanted record of scoring two own goals in this match.
6.Graham Cross- Highly experienced Leicester defender, who was part of Brighton’s 1976/77 promotion side. This was his last match for the Lilywhites before joining Lincoln City.
7.Gordon Coleman- A versatile midfielder able to play in a variety of positions. Contributed seven league goals, including three in five matches around Easter.
8.Sean Haslegrave- A midfielder who played for Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest from 1975 and was part of the side that clinched promotion to Division One two years later.
9.Michael Robinson- Teenage striker who hit 13 league goals in 1978/79, earning an ill-starred move to Manchester City. Bought by Alan Mullery for £400,000 in 1980.
10.Eric Potts- Winger who joined the Lilywhites from Brighton in the summer for £37,000. Did not pose much goal threat against his former side.
11.Alex Bruce- Forward in his second spell at Preston, having returned from Newcastle. Was top scorer with 27 goals in all competitions, including the winner against Brighton in the return fixture.
Sub 12. Ian Cochrane- Former Preston apprentice who scored on his league debut at the end of the 1976/77 season. Got a late consolation goal against Brighton here.*
Original article