Brighton 0 Manchester City 1

When you go down one goal down after four minutes against Manchester City it’s tough, very tough.

However, City had little of their swagger and did not overrun the Seagulls thereafter. Indeed if we had a bit more adventure we might have got back into this semi-final FA Cup tie.

Our best effort came in the second half when City’s Almeyric Laporte cleared the ball under the crossbar when Glenn Murray was ready to pounce. According to Pargie, City were 1-8 to win, extraordinary long odds for a match between 2 teams in the same division.

Brighton still have some work to do to maintain their Premiership status with a key game at home to Cardiff on Tuesday week.

After the game Alan Tanner called to commiserate. He complimented Chis Hughton in keeping his promotion squad together. Of that team, Gaetan Bong, Lewis Dunk, Solly March, Dale Stephens, Anthony Knockaert and Glenn Murray still play regularly.

It’s surely the right route but Fulham did not take it.

Over at the County Ground, Sussex began their season playing Leicestershire. Our poor record over the last season with the bat in the first innings continued and we scored only 173.

Yesterday, with young Phil Salt scoring 8o, we accumulated a more satisfactory 211-2. Although Jefra Archer was not playing we have Hamza of Pakistan so with him, Chris Jordan and Ollie Robinson we have the makings of a decent pace attack even if Archer is selected for England. With 3 to be promoted from the second division, I think we will be one.