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The full report:
Brighton 2 Doncaster 1: New boys Albion rock Rovers
Gus Poyet's side mark their first game since promotion to the Championship with a late comeback thanks to a Will Buckley double
Brian Glanville Published: 7 August 2011
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Brighton substitute Craig Noone is dispossessed during their clash with Doncaster (Peter Whyte)
A famous occasion, you might say, rather than a famous victory. After 14 bitter years of virtual exile, Brighton at long last found themselves playing League football in a true stadium, certainly one that outshines even the famous Goldstone ground where they played from 1901 to 1997.
Since then they have spent two seasons at Gillingham before moving into a tiny athletics stadium at Withdean, just outside Brighton, where the capacity was said to be 8,000, although crowds were usually about 6,000. Yesterday’s game, watched by more than 20,000 fans, was celebrated with myriad waving flags and a parade of dancing girls, and ended with Brighton’s very late winner being greeted with joyful choruses of Sussex by the Sea.
Doncaster had gone ahead with a somewhat fortuitous goal but were severely depleted by injuries as the match stretched on for an added 11 minutes.
It was especially unfortunate for Doncaster that their first player to be carried off, after only seven minutes of the second half, was their goal-scorer Billy Sharp, the victim of a scything challenge from behind by Lewis Dunk, who received a yellow card. From that moment it was almost inevitable that the game would be forced by Brighton, though it was not until Will Buckley came on 15 minutes from time that Brighton seemed likely to break down a resolute Doncaster defence that was well marshalled by their captain and centre-back, George Friend.
It is doubtful if Brighton will ever again come to a moment of supreme achievement as they almost did in 1983 at Wembley in the FA Cup final, when only a dreadful miss by Gordon Smith saved Manchester United from defeat. That was a Brighton team with a good deal more talent than the present side.
Both teams missed easy chances. After 20 minutes of the first half, James Hayter, the second man to go off on a stretcher, shot wastefully over when the ball was deflected to him. Nine minutes later, Gus Poyet, the Brighton manager, was sent off for excessive protests after Kazenga LuaLua, on loan from Newcastle, was booked for diving in the Doncaster penalty area.
Brighton so nearly scored in the 40th minute when Ashley Barnes had time and space to shoot, but Gary Woods managed to block the ball for Friend to clear. Off to the other end went Doncaster and, when Ryan Mason crossed, the ball was deflected off Dunk, enabling Sharp to get a foot to it. Casper Ankergren dived in vain but the ball grazed his right post and ended in the net.
The second half was badly blemished by the injury to Sharp but for a long time it looked as if Doncaster’s defence would hold out until, on 82 minutes, a ferocious long, low drive by substitute Buckley beat Woods, who had previously made a fine save low down from Craig Mackail-Smith, and flew in at his near post.
On 88 minutes Woods saved in turn from Mackail-Smith and Craig Noone, but in stoppage time a clever piece of footwork and a through ball by Noone enabled Buckley to race through alone and win the game, much to the ecstatic delight of Brighton’s fans.
The Doncaster manager Sean O’Driscoll didn’t believe that Dunk’s challenge on Sharp merited a red card, saying: “It was high and from behind. I think it was unfortunate more than anything else.” He added: “You’ve got to give Brighton credit. Few teams move the ball like they do.”
Gus Poyet shrugged off his own dismissal. “That’s me, chaps. I’m not going to change. If I change and keep quiet, I’m going to go home. For 60 to 65 minutes it was difficult. I think in the last 20 minutes we ran over Doncaster. There was only one team playing and putting under pressure.”
But he seemed to feel the huge enthusiasm of the crowd was something of a two-edged sword. ”I don’t remember any time at Brighton, I don’t remember so much noise as when we scored the second goal.”
Brighton: Ankergren 6; Calderon 6, Greer 6, Dunk 5, Painter 6; Lualua 6 (Noone 45min, 7), Bridcutt 6, Sparrow 6 (Buckley 75min, 7), Barnes 6; Dicker 6; Mackail-Smith 6
Doncaster: Woods 7; Mason 6 (Bennett 75min, 6), Naylor 6, Friend 7, Spurr 6; Dumbuya 6, Gillette 6, Oster 6, Hayter 6; Sharp 7 (Barnes 56min, 6).
