I.Saw's Play Off Report: We Fight, We Survive But Job Only Half Done!
Friday, 9th May 2014 15:45 by I.Saw

Play offs, tickets sorted, it's Brighton on a Thursday night, it's a trek, two half days off work worth. We're crazy aren't we!?

It's on telly anyway but still we go.

It what fans do.

Start early, drive, arrive, overnight accommodation Southease YHA somewhere I'd have never considered six months ago.

Now though I feel like a walker, I feel I can pass for one anyway, amazing what a bit of weight loss can do and how fragile we can be about others perceptions. Or maybe it's just me.

Head for Lewes, a lovely little market town, grab an incredible Italian in Famiglia’s before the short free train journey to Falmer.

The AMEX, curves, curves and more curves, it's beautiful if you can describe football grounds that way. Inside Harvey's real ale, padded seats, it's almost a shame to stand. But we do.

If CAMRA could do football grounds….

Game underway, Derby at full strength, Jamie Ward and Johnny Russell on the wings, Chris Martin the head, with the spine of George Thorne and Jake Buxton restored.

Both teams focus on attack, it's frenetic stuff, the Seagull’s number 19 Leonardo Ulloa catches the eye, he's quick, he's fast and he falls, we worry.

Brighton drive forward down the Derby left, their right full back Inigo Calderon gets behind our rearguard and Jesse Lingard takes two stabs, the first blocked by Buxton the second picked out of the back of the net by Lee Grant.

We trail by an early goal not for the first time, it's becoming almost routine, along with the belief that we can score and overturn these setbacks.

We can.

We do.

We resort to what we do best, keeping it on the deck, fast flicks, one touch football, Craig Forsyth the recipient in the box, a defender flies in, the visitor falls and referee Roger East points to the spot.

Was it?

Wasn't it?

We are at the wrong end, too low to tell, we go with the flow, relieved.

Martin has the ball, Buxton is making his way upfront, he's being pulled back, what's happening? Sanity restored Martin sends the keeper the wrong way and the Rams pull the score back to one all with half an hour gone.

With two minutes of injury time signalled we head to the bar for refreshment, cheers turn us back and eventually the monitors in the concourse show Martin’s shot cannon off the crossbar and ricochet off the keepers back and into the net. And again. And again, and again.

Happy friendly faces abound and it's a good natter over a ten minute pint.

Then we’re back.

Second half and it's all Brighton, Grant earns his man of the match award as he pulls off save after save, Ulloa and Stephen Ward both denied by the Derby stopper.

Substitutions, more energy, more effort and fight and we survive.

A victory, half the job done, make no mistake though Sunday is no foregone conclusion.

Walking away from the AMEX it's a view shared by the good natured home supporters as we queue for almost an hour for the train back to Lewes.

You don't mind the odd queue when you're happy do you.

We said / They Said

Derby Gaffer - Steve McClaren:

“Brighton came into the play-offs on a high and in the first 20 minutes they were quick out of the traps. They had a big crowd behind them and we expected them to put us under pressure.”

“We didn’t deal with those opening stages very well to be honest and conceded a poor goal. We came back and grew into the game and in the second half we had to be grateful for an impressive display in goal by Lee Grant.”

“Granty was superb; he made a few great saves and he has been so important for us. He along, with the back five, have been a rock for us and we withstood the pressure we fell under.”

“It took a lot of character to come back like we did and we’ll need to show more of the same on Sunday in the Second Leg. The penalty and resultant goal settled us down and in the last few games - against Huddersfield and Watford especially - that has been the case.”

“Once we got on the ball and passed it around we looked a threat, although we didn’t do it enough in the second half. We had to defend too much but I guess the most important thing is the result.”

“There’s still room for improvement but we’ve got an advantage to take back to the iPro Stadium and that’s important. Our focus is now on Sunday - it is a massive game for us.”

Brighton Gaffer — Oscar Garcia (sooking it up!!):

"It was totally unfair result, we were better than them in all areas apart from the most important area, in front of goal.”

"If the referee had given us the penalty it would have been an even better start for us, and then another in the second half. But the referee didn't give them and that's it."

Match Stats: Seagulls / Rams:

Possession: 59% / 41%

Corners: 11 / 4

Shots (On Target): 14 (5) / 5 (0)

Fouls: 20 / 13

Yellow Cards: 3 / 4

Match Info:

Referee: Roger East

Attendance: 27, 118

Derby: Grant, Wisdom, Keogh (C), Buxton, Forsyth, Thorne, Bryson (Hughes 92), Hendrick, Russell (Dawkins 66), Ward (Sammon 72), Martin.

Unused Subs: Legzdins, Whitbread, Eustace, Bamford.

Goals: Martin (29’ Pen), Kuszczak (45 + 1:38 o.g.)

Brighton:Kuszczak, Calderon, Greer, Upson, Ward, Andrews, Forster-Caskey, Lingard (Mackail-Smith 82), Orlandi (March 70), Ulloa, Buckley (LuaLua 45).

Unused Subs:Brezovan (GK), Chicksen, Dunk, Ince.

Goals: Lingard (18’)