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Practice over - now for the thriller at Villa!
THERE WAS a 'crowd' of 3,450 at Walsall's Bescot Stadium for Brighton's League One game. It was a very satisfactorily practice for the Albion's next trip to the Midlands – the BIG one, Aston Villa in the FA Cup Round 4.
We won 2 – 1, picked up the three points, and moved up to 18th, job done.
Martin O'Neil was at the match. His Villa were playing West Ham the following day. What did he learn?
Firstly Glenn Murray will have to be carefully marked. His goal after just 8 minutes was beautiful! Elliott Bennett threaded the needle with an inch-perfect pass for Murray to run onto and slot past the keeper. That was Glenn's tenth goal of the season.
Secondly Albion veteran Nicky Forster needs watching. Towards the end of the first-half with the scores level Tommy Elphick got his head to the ball in the Walsall box. It was going away from goal until Forster did the perfect bicycle-kick over his shoulder and into the net. That was the winning goal and Nicky's 14th of the season.
O'Neil will unfortunately have spotted that our defence is not completely watertight! Ex-Albion player Matt Richards scored with a powerful shot after the ball hadn't been cleared. And there were a few other dodgy moments.
Manager Gus Poyet had made brave selections in playing his TWO new fullbacks, Inigo Calderon (28 year-old Spaniard, right-back) and Marcos Painter (23 year-old from Swansea left-back). Poyet was happy with their debuts.
Happily Tommy Elphick's fifth yellow doesn't mean he will miss the BIG game! So Walsall safely out of the way. Next up their famous neighbours, Aston Villa, who are in the top six of the Premiership.
There are difficult selections. We have a big squad and competition for all positions. Gavin Hoyte and Jim McNulty will have been upset at being replaced in defence. Similarly James Tunnicliffe, who missed out in central defence, Dean Cox in midfield and Liam Dickinson upfront, could all feel aggrieved. With the biggest game of the season coming up Poyet has to get it right.
Despite all the comings and goings picking the front pair should be easy. Nicky Forster and Glenn Murray must start. Liam Dickinson is first choice attacker on the bench. Between the posts I would stick with Michel Kuipers, if fit, rather than Peter Brezovan. The full back positions are contentious.
I'd like to see Jim McNulty in but would accept Poyet's judgement on the right. It is pick two from three in the centre. Adam Virgo and Tommy Elphick may get the shout over James Tunnicliffe. However it would be possible to move Virgo into midfield to join the certainties of Andrew Crofts and Gary Dicker. That leaves one other. The attacking option would be Elliott Bennett but I know Poyet likes Alan Navarro.
But I go for - Kuipers, Calderon, McNulty, Elphick, Tunnicliffe, Virgo, Dicker, Crofts, Bennett, Murray, & Forster. How many out of eleven do you think I've got right?
We will have the full 6,400 there! How many more would have made it if tickets had been available? Evidence again that we are a big club, just waiting for a proper ground! It will be cars, coaches and trains up to Birmingham on Saturday.
It is our BIG day out for this season. Or I should say biggest so far. We could get Chelsea in the next round!
Tom Tom tells me it should take 3 hours but we will set off early to soak up the atmosphere, larger, and Villa pies. Yet to be fitted in is a trip to the club shop to stock up on blue and white flags, Uruguayan or Albion.
I watched Villa play West Ham on the box at the weekend. I could say we have nothing to fear - but I'd be lying. They have tremendous pace up front with Young and Agbonlahor. Then there is Heskey of course. But I think the one to watch is Milner. He has skill and power coming from midfield. Also in their midfield are Petrov and Downing. Can we match them?
"Nicky Forster was too quick on the turn for Richard Dunne and fired home. Glenn Murray glided past Warnock to knock in number two. Tommy Elphick bottled up Agbonlahor. Adam Virgo didn't let Heskey into the game. A fantastic 2 – 0 win at Villa Park."
That's the report I'd like to write next week! Now I have to go and practise my Seagulls' chants!
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Weather for Horsham
Friday 25 May 2012
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Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
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