Brighton & Hove Albion vs Queens Park Rangers *** Official Match Thread ***

[Dick Head]

Brighton v QPR

Sky Bet Championship

Venue: The American Express Community Stadium
Date: Tuesday 27th December 2016
Kick-off: 12:30 GMT
Referee: Keith Stroud
Assistants: Derek Eaton, Mark Pottage
Fourth official: James Linington


​

Brighton will assess Jamie Murphy after groin trouble but fellow winger Kazenga LuaLua is suspended.

Defender Liam Rosenior and midfielder Beram Kayal are back in training following ankle injuries but centre-back Uwe Hunemeier (hand) is a doubt.

Midfielder Jordan Cousins (hamstring) remains a doubt for QPR, who have suffered five straight defeats.

Forward Jamie Mackie is in contention to make his first start after returning from a long-term ankle trouble.

Centre-back Steven Caulker (thigh) and midfielder Ariel Borysiuk (hamstring) will be assessed.

Second-placed Brighton are looking to extend their unbeaten run in the Championship to 17 matches.

Brighton manager Chris Hughton told BBC Sussex:

"QPR have certainly found it difficult to get the goals you need.

"I saw them play Aston Villa and I thought they played well. Since Ian Holloway has gone in there, their performance levels have been good but they can't find that way of winning.

"They have gone through a transition over the last couple of years since the Premier League days. They have had to move a few players out and recruitment sometimes takes longer than you want.

"In Ian they have someone who knows the club very well and he will be trying his best to turn it around."

MATCH FACTS

• 
  [*=left]Brighton are unbeaten in their last seven league meetings with Queens Park Rangers (W3 D4).
  [*=left]The R's have lost five of their last six away league matches against Brighton - winning 3-2 in September 2004.
  [*=left]Brighton have kept the most clean sheets in the Championship this season (13).
  [*=left]Only Wigan Athletic (18) have scored fewer goals than QPR in the Championship this season (20).
  [*=left]Brighton have lost just one of their last 21 league matches at the Amex Stadium (W15 D5).

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Lovly morning here in Faversham. Mrs Tackle and I will set off, shortly, on the A roads; Ashford, Tenterten, Bodium..... happy days!

 

[Stat Brother]

Thank f**k I was getting very agitated.

 

[Shoreham Gull]

Feeling nervous about this game, Brighton seem to struggle to take advantage of these good situations..
( Newcastle losing , pressure from below getting wins ).

Must win game to keep the distance

 

[perseus]

Veteran right-back Bruno should make his 71st consecutive league start as the former Valencia defender continues to belie his 36 years.

1/2 to win

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1085149/Preview

http://www.skysports.com/football/brighton-vs-qpr/358377

Trains reported running​

 

[Ernest]

Keith Stroud means cards GALORE , will be CARNAGE like the Fulham game

 

[jakarta]

Thank f**k I was getting very agitated.

Were my thoughts exactly - did you have a late night last night Mr Head?

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

71 consecutive league matches for Bruno, unbelievable.

 

[BUTTERBALL]

Getting ready, nice morning, very very confident of a win.

 

[AmexRuislip]

Keith Stroud means cards GALORE , will be CARNAGE like the Fulham game

Hope you're wrong [MENTION=1416]Ernest[/MENTION]

Match Day referee Stroud has officiated 24 games in 2016/17, showing a whopping 116 yellow cards and eight red cards.

This season his highest card count was eight yellows and two reds in the game between Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers in November.

He took charge of 45 matches last season and in those games, across all competitions and football divisions, he handed out a massive total of 191 yellow cards and eleven red cards.

He was most card happy in the match between Derby County and Queens Park Rangers on November 3 with a total of eight yellow cards being shown, along with one red card. He also showed nine yellow cards in the game between West Bromwich Albion and Port Vale in the Capital One Cup on August 25 and seven yellows with two reds in the Leeds v Rotherham match on November 21.

In fact seven seems a favourite number the amount of times it came up.

Stroud is a vastly experienced referee at this level. His career has seen him become an international FIFA assistant referee, and his highlights include running the line in the 2003 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Southampton. Stroud also served as a Premier League referee for two seasons before returning to the EFL in 2009/10.

Source - EFL.

http://www.bha.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=575885

 

[perseus]

71 consecutive league matches for Bruno, unbelievable.

Clint Hill is still playing but not for QPR.

 

[perseus]

West Coastway trains are disrupted. Leaving any minute.

How many will make the game?

Derby 30,292
Arsenal 30,278
Villa 30,107

 

[brakespear]

more confident in this now DH has started thread

edit: are we on Sky again over the next month? I see Now TV are offering a month pass to Sky Sports for £20 so trying to workout what other use I'd get out of it.

edit 2: just the Wednesday match I think.

 

[Triggaaar]

Thank f**k I was getting very agitated.

Were my thoughts exactly - did you have a late night last night Mr Head?

We've got away with one today, but we should never have been in that position. To make sure this doesn't happen again, we should have his landline, mobile and address, in case we have to rouse him.

 

[half time scores]

I sincerely hope that the club has assigned somebody to keep an eye on the QPR coach driver.

 

[kingcole]

Got to Shoreham 10 minutes early for the 1034 and that was on time and here were even 2 others before 1034. What screw up have I missed?

Already at the amex having squeezed in a pint at the Bell

 

[clippedgull]

more confident in this now DH has started thread

edit: are we on Sky again over the next month? I see Now TV are offering a month pass to Sky Sports for £20 so trying to workout what other use I'd get out of it.

edit 2: just the Wednesday match I think.

Have you got a link for that? I'm just seeing £33 when I go to buy! cheers.

 

[brakespear]

Have you got a link for that? I'm just seeing £33 when I go to buy! cheers.

http://www.nowtv.com/tv-passes

Shows £33 if I click on the some of the links but above shows the deals for me - sorry, took a while as I'm logged into now tv at moment.

 

[brakespear]

BHAFC
️ ‏@OfficialBHAFC 50s50 seconds ago

#BHAFC team v #QPR: Stockdale; Bruno, Dunk, Duffy, Bong; Knockaert, Norwood, Stephens, March; Murray, Baldock. #BHAvQPR

BHAFC ️ ‏@OfficialBHAFC 19s20 seconds ago

#BHAFC subs v #QPR: Maenpaa (GK), Hunt, Goldson, Sidwell, Skalak, Murphy, Hemed. #BHAvQPR

 

[whitelion]

March starts.

Would have liked Sidwell to start though...