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Things looking up for Seagulls with improving form
OUR Seagulls flew west to Exeter on Saturday. This was light relief after Norwich, Leeds, and Charlton but was never going to be easy.
Exeter are above us in League One and have a very good home record at St James Park having lost only once. But win we did when skipper Andrew Crofts dramatically headed home in injury time to give Albion victory and the much needed three points.
It is about time things went our way. Lady luck hasn't been kind to us recently so no apologies for snatching the only goal of the game after 92 minutes. New manager Gus Poyet said: "Towards the end … I was praying for us not to be unlucky and concede in the last minute."
Poyet made some shrewd decisions that helped but sportsmen make their own luck through hard work. I think it was Tiger Woods who, when asked if he had been lucky, said that the funny thing was the more he practised the luckier he became.
For Poyet it was a satisfying result from his seventh game in charge in the space of just three weeks. We had that fantastic win at Southampton followed by a hat-trick of league defeats, albeit against the top three clubs.
Sadly I wasn't brave enough to go west for the game this week. Over 600 Albion fans did and must have felt at home being out in the open and getting a good soaking from the rain. At least they were rewarded with a win.
The biggest news before the game was on the goalkeeper front. Michel Kuipers hadn't fully recovered from his groin injury and second choice keeper Graeme Smith was ill. Poyet brought the former Swindon keeper Peter Brezovan to the club on trial.
This gamble had a happy ending in that he saved a penalty AND kept a clean sheet. It now seems likely the 6ft 6in Slovakian will make his home debut on Friday night at Withdean against Colchester.
But it could have gone horribly wrong! All started well with confident handling and routine saves. Into the second-half former Albion player Stuart Fleetwood ran clear into our area and was brought down by Brezovan. Penalty! Team work came into play here as the club statistician had told our goalkeeping coach Tony Godden, who in turn told Brezovan, that the Exeter penalty taker Marcus Stewart usually shoots low to the keeper's left. So Peter dived left – and saved.
Poyet recognised that the big keeper tired towards the end of the game but said: "you have to give him respect. He hasn't played a professional football game this season and after a week's training with us he came on and put in a blinding performance."
The three points didn't lift us up from 21st spot BUT our 20 points puts us only three points away from Yeovil in thirteenth! So a win on Friday night, if only for 24 hours, will see us in mid-table. OK, it won't be easy - Colchester are promotion hunting in fourth spot behind Leeds, Charlton and Norwich. But I'm hoping it's onwards and upwards from now on!
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Weather for Horsham
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: -7 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
