Source: Telegraph
Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Bournemouth 1: match report
Gus Poyet, the Brighton manager, is not one to lose his temper. But he does have a good line in the sort of shaky, barely controlled voice that Bond villains like to use as they are about to unleash the piranhas.[LNB]Poyet had plenty of opportunity to show off his menacing smile on Saturday as he lambasted the referee's assistant, John Farries, for awarding the penalty that handed Bournemouth an undeserved draw.[LNB]Wigan Warriors 22 St Helens 10: match reportCrystal Palace 1 Queens Park Rangers 2: match reportBristol City 0 Norwich City 3: match reportThis was one of those peculiar occasions where only one man in the ground is convinced that a foul has been committed in the penalty area, and that man just happens to be wearing an official's uniform.[LNB]In the 92nd minute, Bournemouth's 38 year-old striker Steven Fletcher barged his way towards the sort of hopeful lofted ball that his team-mates had been resorting to all match.[LNB]As he tussled with the Brighton centre-halves, Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd, the ball struck a flailing hand. The referee awarded a free-kick, only to upgrade the decision to a penalty on Farries's advice.[LNB]This was baffling when you consider that the incident happened a yard outside the area. There was also the point that Fletcher — who happens to be 6ft 3in and built like a coffin on legs — was impelling the helpless Elphick towards the ball like a WWF wrestler preparing to expel his opponent from the ring.[LNB]'It's one thing when you make a bad decision,' said Poyet, as he considered Farries' decision. 'But if you're not even in the right position, why are you involved — to get famous?[LNB]'He was six or seven yards forward, so he couldn't see the right angle. But he is going to go home and tell his family, 'Have a look on television, I'm famous now'.' [LNB]Perhaps infamous would be nearer the mark, as Sky will no doubt be showing the Farries howler from every angle, in high-definition and probably in 3D.[LNB]The presence of the cameras at this south-coast derby might have had a bearing on why the match produced such a dearth of decent football.[LNB]We saw two of the three leading teams in League One, both granted a rare opportunity to parade their talents on TV. But one suspects that Brighton were trying too hard to impress. [LNB]Too much time was spent dinking the ball around their own back four, to the point where even the home fans started shouting 'Forward!' and 'Rubbish!' [LNB]After 61 minutes, it felt like the match had been going on for days. But then things livened up, thanks to a super strike from Kazenga LuaLua, the Newcastle winger on loan to Brighton.[LNB]It came from a simply worked free-kick some 30 yards out, which Gary Dicker tapped sideways for LuaLua to smash home, and then celebrate with the family's trademark backflip.[LNB]For the next half-hour, Bournemouth were actually required to come forward — a tactic that had not been part of their original game plan.[LNB]Now Brighton were able to create a few chances, but most of them fell to Ashley Barnes, a striker with a surprising reluctance to pull the trigger.[LNB]But for Barnes's profligacy, the inexplicable 92nd minute penalty would only have been an odd footnote to the match. As it was, Marc Pugh scored easily to leave the Brighton fans chanting 'Cheats'. [LNB]The decision was especially hard to take as Bournemouth striker Michael Symes should really have been sent off in the first half for swinging an elbow at Elphick.[LNB]'He gave a yellow card,' said Poyet of this first controversial decision by referee Darren Sheldrake, 'but for me it had to be red or nothing.[LNB]''Earlier on, the same player had nearly killed our keeper by leaving his foot in. If I see someone do those two things, I send them off. But it looks like I am not a referee.' [LNB]
