What was THE season-defining moment ?

[Gwylan]

When you consider the quality of wingers we have it makes it even stranger that we didn't get a big forward in

But we tried. We know that we wanted Murray and Howe wouldn't let him go; who knows how many other strikers we were after. PL/top Champ players who can't get a game are not ten a penny, so our choice would have been limited mid-season


By season defining moment, well 45 minutes, is the second half against Leeds. We stroked the ball around and scarcely broke sweat - Leeds were broken and could have easily racked up six or seven goals. That would have made a difference

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Season defining? Burnley

There have been so many questionable decisions against us, and I really do not believe it was close to evening out.

You look at the years Palace and Bournemouth got promoted, how many questionable penalties did they have? This season we had one vs Sevilla in a friendly!


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[doogie004]

Not getting strikers in January

 

[Albion Dan]

There are plenty. Being two up at Bolton and drawing. Losing to Rotherham by a goal. You could choose Burnley but they also had a perfectly good goal disallowed.

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[Behind Enemy Lines]

Second half v Burnley at home. Well in control, played them off the park. Murphy breaks away down the left, acres of space. Wilson is completely unmarked in the middle and pointing to where the cross needs to be for a simple tap-in. It is the simplest ball of the season and Murphy fluffs it, playing it behind the striker. That would have killed the game, kept our winning run going and avoided all that necessity to win at Boro.

Agree. Illustrated one of the ultimate weaknesses of the team that we were unable to kill off other teams, particularly against the top sides, when the margins are so fine and chances so few. You have to take your chances. We didn't last night again otherwise it would have been all over in that incredible opening half an hour. Two new strikers next season will help with this. Overall, we need to become more ruthless.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

We started the season like a house on fire, winning 6 of the first 7 but the next three were big missed opportunities. Hemed's pen miss at Wolves, in a game we should have won. Two up at Bolton and cruising. Murphy's sending off and a late equaliser and then battering Cardiff for 90 minutes and again, only drawing. Ultimately those six points dropped stopped us opening up a big lead at the top. We could and should have started with 34 points from the first 12 games and we wouldn't have been caught. Not one single defining moment but a period of clear lost opportunity.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

No point dwelling on the past, WE GO AGAIN next season!

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[Kalimantan Gull]

Bobby's winners at Fuham and Leeds, got us up to the top, proved we were challengers, followed up by a great win at Ipswich, showed how irresistible we were going forward

 

[Tooting Gull]

If I had to pick one, it would be that Burnley equaliser - we'd be up if that hadn't gone in.

Then a cluster of others, Barton staying on the pitch, a few other refereeing decisions in huge games including last night. If that goal had been rightly chalked off, I think we would have got at least extra time.

Then the vaguer but still important ones. Injuries, both before Christmas and recently. It sounded greedy to say it at the time on top of the league and with the unbeaten run, but we could have been out of sight. Points were dropped, and they are worth the same in October as May.

 

[Iovan The Sweeper]

So many defining moments, but given we only needed a point, or a two goal swing, then you'll drive yourself mad thinking about them all.

But Derby at home was a killer. Against a team with nothing much to play for (bar momentum - and look where that's got them), we weren't quite at the races that day.

The Middlesbrough game would have been very different then, and suited us on the counter.

But now we know - we can do this. Every goal, every point, let's make them all count next season.

 

[Maldini]

The Amex last night was an indication how far Brighton has come.A few years ago they were playing at Gillingham and the Withdean and in lower leagues.
Last night they were playing for a place in the Prem in a fantastic new stadium in front of 30.000 fans.What a difference.

Yes Brighton are not in the Prem but it has to be appreciated what we have now compared to what there was in the past.

We won't be playing Man U,Spurs,Chelsea etc but then again we won't be playing Barnet and Exeter.
There's Newcastle,Villa,Leeds,Derby so some decent games to come.

 

[Maldini]

If I had to pick one, it would be that Burnley equaliser - we'd be up if that hadn't gone in.
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Totally agree.

You could point out games earlier in the season but the difference is that when we played Burnley is was just a few games from the end,when we were so close to promotion and against one of our two main rivals.

 

[Since1982]

Two for me - the 2nd half against Charlton at home showed the belief in the squad. The defeat at home to Wolves showed how even over a season it is a game of fine margins - if that cross hadn't deflected off Goldson............but who wants to play Bournemouth and Watford next season - we have Newcastle and Villa to look forward to!

 

[Giraffe]

Burnley stands out clearly.

But I'd also say QPR away was typical of several games where we had it won only to throw it away. At times in the first half of he season in particularly we had teams totally beaten but seemed to take the foot off the pedal rather than destroying them. Even letting Leeds off with a 4-0 rather than the 8-0 they deserved was another example of this.

 

[GT49er]

In retrospect, I'd go for Burnley's last gasp equaliser.

 

[garethjamesuk]

Definately conceding that late goal vs Burnley but then again we didnt get luck like other teams have and in our remaining 4 games including the playoffs we had no luck actually more the opposite. But we have a great squad and next season if add a striker and maybe another central midfielder we will be fine and will win this league.

 

[Giraffe]

You also can't ignore Mike Dean in this. Pulling out a red card for Stephens defined our season for sure as it killed our hopes in that match and weakened them for the play offs.

 

[ofco8]

For me, I just cannot get that 93rd minute Burnley equaliser out of my head. The fact that that vile, thuggish, bindipping scrote was still on the field to fake his way to the free kick, that led to the corner, that was headed in by Keane...its a moment in Albion history that will haunt me forever. Just seeing that net bulge right at the death, after we'd battered them for the best part of 70 minutes, was just about the most sickening and stomarch-churning thing I have seen since the Kerry Katona New Year slimfast DVD.

I KNOW over 46 games there are any number of little incidents that lead to goals, some in favour, some against. But that Burnley goal felt like a dagger through the heart at that very moment. And so it has proved.

Exactly this, followed up by not beating Derby at home.

 

[Was not Was]

And there's the third goal conceded at home to Boro. We'd have been promoted on goals scored if we'd only lost 0-2. Not significant psychologically in the way the Burnley equaliser was, but statistically it, too, was the difference between up & down.

 

[GreersElbow]

I think everyone looks to our defeats to define our season, but I think that's wrong.

Our 3-2 win against Charlton epitomised everything about this team. The regular 4-0+ results we saw, we have a team that was gagging for it. It hurts, no one deserved it more than us if we consider effort. However, our boys did something none of expected; challenge autos all season, given our mission with Hughton last year was to survive. A mid-upper table finish was likely to be our real objective, we smashed that and more.

Sensible recruitment this pre-season coming, keeping core players and finally keeping that ethic Hughton and co have installed; we could do a Leicester and walk the league. I can't say Norwich or Aston Villa particularly worry me; but another season, another chance.