The Tanner Report: Brighton 2 Fulham 1
Ivan Conway, with whom I watched the game, was sweet enough to say that a draw was the right result but if you do not capitalise on your dominance – as we failed to do in the first half and Brighton did in the second – then you will not get even a point. Fulham started the better and it was little surprise that we scored in the 18th minute when McDonald headed past David Stockdale, who slipped and another ex-Cottager Steve Sidwell tried to clear the ball which was over the line. Fulham continued to dominate and chances fell to the lively Floyd Ayite and Scott Malone.
It was another story in the second half. Brighton broke up Fulham’s rhythm, yellow cards were flourished to both teams (seven in all) and Fulham’s grip weakened. Sam Baldock scored with a powerful shot to equalise. Still a draw seemed likely and deserved but poor marking from a Baldock cross when we had 3 defenders in the box and Brighton only the lethal Glenn Murray still resulted in the cross reaching the Seagulls’ hit man who duly converted. Not for the first time I was confused by coach Slavia Jokatovic’s like-for-like substituting. Fredericks came on for Odoi, Kebano for Oluko, Piazon for Ayite. Why oh why no Matt Smith, an out-and-out forward as I can’t recall our only other striker Chris Martin having a shot on target? Not unsurprisingly Brighton played the game out. They were fortified by their noisy fans who supported them throughout and seemed to influence some of referee’s Keith Stroud’s more inconsistent decisions. Keeper Button was, for example, booked for first offence time wasting: Martin was booked in a melee but other Brighton players committing similar misconduct went unpunished: Malone appeared to be fouled in the box at the end but the ref waved on.
Ivan was obviously the happier of the two especially as Newcastle surprisingly lost at home to Blackburn. I consoled myself that the 3 points for Brighton might mean automatic promotion after the misfortune of last season when they lost a play-off to a team, Sheffield Wednesday, who finished 15 points below them. Fulham are now 9th. Next week we face high flying Reading at home where our form and record is less convincing. The upcoming games against Wolves and Rotherham look more winnable but only if possession and dominance are turned into the hard currency of goals.
