[Albion] U-23's pre-season friendly at Merstham this evening (7:30pm)

LVGull said:

What was the line up AZG

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AZ Gull said:

Anyone planning to attend?

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Thunder Bolt said:

Sorry, I can't help you with the Merstham game, but this may make you smile.

[tweet]1151229005992878083[/tweet]

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Juan Albion said:

Meanwhile, up the road a bit: Barnet 6 Palarse 2. Obviously I don't know what kind of side the Scum put out but I do know Wickham and Sorloth got their goals so it wasn't a youth team.

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Juan Albion said:

... what kind of side the Scum put out

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Juan Albion said:

Keep up at the back.

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Nottseagull said:

Are you still a clergyman?

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Tuesday 16th July 2019

Pre-Season Friendly

Merstham 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion XI

Report by Chris Pullen

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A vastly- improved second half performance should have earned the Moatsiders a draw, but a combination of last-ditch defending and wayward finishing allowed the young Seagulls to return home with the victory.


In the first half, Merstham paid their visitors too much respect and sat too deep, allowing Brighton time and space to pick their passes. Possession stats would probably have been 70:30 in the Seagulls favour. For all their possession however, they rarely threatened and were reduced to shots from outside the box. Merstham keeper Max Huxter only had one moment of alarm as he parried a close-range effort. But when they did get possession, the Moatsiders surrendered the ball far too easily and couldn't create anything of note in the final third. Brighton went in front just before the break, when a superbly struck free kick from 25 yards was curled into the top corner.


Merstham boss Frank Wilson made some changes at the interval, both in terms of personnel and shape. The biggest impact on the game was the introduction of Eze Ebuzoeme in midfield. He kept the ball and used it well to give the Moatsiders far greater control and began to bring Merstham's attacking players into the match. The Brighton coaching staff had expected their superior fitness to be a factor as the game wore on, but in fact it was Merstham who finished the stronger. As the game entered the final 20 minutes, the Moatsiders looked increasingly dangerous and penned the young Seagulls in their own half. The Brighton keeper made a diving fingertip save to keep out a shot from distance and then blocked a close range effort from Christian Madu. The ball frequently flashed across the Brighton box and on more than one occasion, Merstham players were only inches away from getting a decisive touch. Merstham's Mattie Pearson had to make a brave save at the feet of a Brighton forward after an errant back pass, and the Seagulls keeper had to scramble back towards his own goal and just managed to hook a goal-bound effort away with only minutes left.


As with any pre-season game, the result is less important than the performance, but on the basis of the second half, Moatsider fans will be looking forward to seeing more of Frank Wilson's quickly developing side.

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BNthree said:

Here's a match report from Merstham:

https://www.mersthamfc.com/matchreports

Guessing Palace fans are echoing the sentiments of the last sentence!

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Thunder Bolt said:

Sorry, I can't help you with the Merstham game, but this may make you smile.

[tweet]1151229005992878083[/tweet]

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Nottseagull said:

Does 'trialist' mean they're not revealing the name of the player in case another club poaches him? If not, it's a rather odd surname!

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LVGull said:

What was the line up AZG

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BensGrandad said:

Does the club not issue any team news for the U23s who took part.

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BensGrandad said:

I do not think it would be asking too much for the club to supply the team details. I wonder if they are getting above themselves and no longer caring what supporters think.

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Couldn't Be Hyypia said:

I assume you're being funny here. I hope so.

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BensGrandad said:

Not really as only a couple of seasons ago the team would have been published but now we are in The Premier it seems that the club consider it no longer important enough to report as they have bigger fish to fry. I fully accept that the club has moved on since our days at Gillingham and Withdean but certain things should not be just overlooked with progression.

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*Gullsworth* said:

What like 'glamour' friendlies v Crawley, Fulham at Aldershot.......that kind of BIG fish

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BensGrandad said:

I do not think it would be asking too much for the club to supply the team details. I wonder if they are getting above themselves and no longer caring what supporters think.

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