• 9 months ago
SussexWorld's Matt Pole is joined by Brighton & Hove Albion writers Derren Howard and Sam Morton, and Crawley Town expert Mark Dunford. Albion enjoyed a week of ups and downs in both the Premier League and FA Cup this week - but now attention turns to a European tie to savour in the Europa League round of 16.
We pick over the bones of Brighton’s league and cup games against Everton and Wolves respectively, preview the Seagulls’ latest exciting European adventure, and look back at yet another excellent week for Crawley Town. You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at SussexWorld.co.uk/sport, and you check out other great videos on ShotsTV.com and Freeview channel 276.

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Transcript
00:00 Welcome to another episode of the Goldmouth Action Podcast, where we take a look at all
00:06 the latest games on at Brighton, Hove Abbey and Crawley Town in Sporting, Sussex. I'm
00:10 Matt Holt and this week I'm joined by Brighton, Hove Abbey and right is Deryn Howden, Sam
00:14 Morton as well as Crawley Town expert Mark Dunford.
00:17 Albion endured a week of ups and downs in both the Premier League and FA Cup this week,
00:22 but now attention has turned to a European tie to savour in the Europa League round of
00:26 16. We'll pick over the bones at Brighton's League and Cup games against Everton and Wolves
00:30 respectively, preview the Seagulls' latest exciting European adventure and look back
00:35 at yet another excellent week for Crawley Town.
00:39 You can read all the stories we are talking about with videos and pictures online at sussexworld.co.uk/sport
00:44 and you can check out other great videos on shotstv.com and preview channel 276. You may
00:49 also be watching on latest TV so thank you very much for tuning in. Starting with Brighton,
00:54 a late goal from Captain Marv, all of this done scored a 1-0 draw for 10-man Brighton
00:59 at home to Everton in the Premier League on Saturday. Summed that performance up for Sam,
01:03 it was late but they got there in the end, didn't they?
01:06 Yes, it definitely felt like a victory to be honest Matt. I think in the circumstances
01:10 that Brighton found themselves in, you wouldn't have said they're going into the game, probably
01:15 all for much of the game because they were dominant, they had most of the chances and
01:18 Danny Welbeck should have scored in the first half. He was really dangerous and Brighton
01:25 looked like the team that were most likely to take the lead. But Everton are a bit of
01:30 a bogey team for Brighton as we saw last season and they are a very tough team to break down
01:35 which I did fear going into the game and that's exactly what happened and Everton really did
01:40 weather the storm and managed to get a goal in typical Sean Dyche fashion, the long ball
01:44 going up, a bit of a knockdown in the box and Jareth Brantway, a centre-back, thought
01:51 he was a striker and put one of the best finishes of the season into the top corner. So, everything
01:55 was kind of going against Brighton and it got worse when Billy Yormour was sent off
02:00 deservedly for a studs-in challenge on Onana in the midfield. So, I had no complaints with
02:07 that one and you did really feel like it was just going to end for a win for Everton but
02:13 Brighton had other ideas and it was a really good way of responding to adversity and it
02:18 had to be Lewis Dunk to come up with the goods and Pascal Grosz's assist was absolutely brilliant.
02:23 I think it was just so late in the game, it was in the fifth minute of injury time, all
02:27 a bit chaotic and Grosz did a couple of his coif turns that he does and then puts a perfect
02:33 cross in for Lewis Dunk. It was a really, really class goal and as I say, it felt like
02:39 a victory in the circumstance.
02:40 The draw with the Toffees was then followed by an FA Cup fifth-round exit at Wolves on
02:54 Wednesday evening. The depleted Seagulls are coming to an early Mario Lamina strike. It
03:00 did kind of seem, Deren, that injuries mounted and very much took its toll.
03:05 Yes, it was always going to be a tough assignment there. Wolves are playing really well at the
03:11 moment and I think when we were at the press conference just before the match and Giuseppe
03:16 revealed the amount of injuries that they've had with the likes of Lamptey missing as well,
03:23 Karim Atoma now out for the season as well, Joel Veltman, Evan Ferguson, Jal Pedro, it
03:30 really tipped the balance in Wolves' favour. Having said that, it was a decent performance.
03:35 It's an error from the beginning, an early goal. Jason Steele should have gathered the
03:40 cross. Estupinam was a little bit slow on the back post and Lamina just nipped in ahead
03:46 of him to put them a lead after just 80 seconds, I think it was.
03:52 They're attacking players that they had on the pitch, players like Idinga who have been
03:56 really good for Brighton lately. He was just a little bit wayward with his final pass and
04:02 his finishing for Koundé Bermiote as well. He just wasn't quite there, they didn't have
04:07 the sharpness in front of goal that they usually had. Sam mentioned Pascal Gros as well, who
04:13 against Everton, you can always rely on Pascal Gros to deliver that killer pass. But even
04:19 against Wolves, his set pieces just weren't quite on the spot.
04:25 Just one of those things, no lack of effort, no signs of taking it easy. Just a little
04:31 bit of lack of quality and Wolves are a very good Premier League team.
04:35 There were a couple of good points as well, encouraging a full debut for Cam Papillon
04:41 as well. He played on the right-hand side in the first half and looked pretty good.
04:45 He kept things simple, picked the right pass at the right time. So that was quite good.
04:53 Also Valentin Barco as well, he had a good little cameo towards the end, a really good
04:57 10 minutes. There was one ball in particular he whipped in with his left foot, which teed
05:02 up a chance for Wael Beck. That really showed what he's all about, I think. So there were
05:07 encouraging signs there. Actually, Dzerbi said previously that he's not ready to play,
05:12 but I think he may well reassess that after how he looked against Wolves.
05:18 But yeah, shame to go out. But now there's the Europa League obviously and then the battle
05:25 for the top six.
05:27 On that point about the Europa League, how much importance is there now on that? They've
05:32 gone out of the FA Cup as well. Because if it doesn't go their way in the Europa League,
05:39 is the season over, effectively?
05:41 There's still that fight for the top six, but there's no doubt about it. This Europa
05:45 League tie is a glamour tie against Roma. So yeah, I think you're right. There will
05:51 be extra importance and extra emphasis placed on this.
05:55 There's been a few rumours this week that Dzerbi will be on his way at the end of this
06:00 season and Pascal Gross may be looking, Joel Veltman may move, Adam Webster is something
06:07 in that as well. So I think these sort of crux of players, they would love to go out
06:11 on a high if they do indeed leave. I think this Europa League, that's going to mean everything
06:18 to them now.
06:19 Going back to that defeat to Wolves in the FA Cup, Sam, does that feel like a missed
06:25 opportunity for Abiy because the draw for the quarter-finals was held before, I think
06:30 it was while the game was being played and they would have ended up with Coventry City.
06:32 You look at that and go, 'Brian could well be in another semi-final.'
06:36 Yeah, I agree. It definitely is an opportunity missed and as Dara said, they had lots of
06:41 injuries. It was a game I didn't expect Brighton to win in all honesty and obviously that early
06:46 goal really did. It was the worst possible start, wasn't it? They were constantly then
06:52 trying to fight back and they didn't have all the players to be able to really make
06:58 an impression and to turn the game around. I think if we'd ever unfit, I would have
07:02 asked them to do that and they really did struggle to create any clear-cut chances at
07:07 all. That is a real frustration. As you say, a massive opportunity to go one further than
07:13 they did last season, obviously losing in the semi-final to Man United. This would have
07:18 been a brilliant opportunity to get another semi-final and then try and get to the final.
07:22 So that was a real shame really and frustrating that all these injuries have come up at the
07:27 same time once again. I know obviously lots of teams have had injuries this season but
07:32 it does seem Brighton have been particularly hard done by the nature of the injuries and
07:38 the players that have had them. All the key players all seem to be out at the same time.
07:43 So really frustrating in that sense. I think there's been some talk again of the goalkeeping
07:48 situation after the result last night. I think Jason Steele has come under fire again. He
07:53 kind of flapped at the ball, didn't he, with the cross that came in. He didn't cover himself
07:56 and Gloria at all. I've said it all season, I think they need to stick to one goalkeeper
08:01 and I think Verbruggen has definitely been the better of the two. So it is a bit surprising
08:07 that in these key games that he does seem to still go for the option to rotate. But
08:12 I'd be very shocked if Verbruggen doesn't start in Europe in both games against Roma.
08:18 He has been the go-to European goalkeeper on most occasions. So I think I'd expect that
08:23 to continue.
08:24 You've got to remember as well that Walt Walls have got England's next manager, Gary
08:28 O'Neill. I know I teased that last week. I might modify my statement a little bit and
08:33 say he's a future England manager, maybe not the next one. But he has done a great job
08:38 at Walls.
08:39 I agree. I think he's really got something. I really think he's a great manager.
08:46 He'll be Eddie Howe, don't you worry.
08:48 You mentioned Europa League there. Although Albion do visit Fulham in the Premier League
08:55 on Saturday, I think most supporters will be eagerly anticipating the Seagulls' trip
09:00 to Roma on Thursday evening. And I believe Mr Dunford and Mr Morton, you will both be
09:04 in attendance.
09:05 We will, yeah. Looking forward to it. I think Sam's at Craven Cottage on Saturday and then
09:11 the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.
09:13 Yeah, exactly.
09:14 I really wish we could all go.
09:17 No, it should be good. But Darren, you think about how far Brighton have come and you've
09:23 heard all these things about them barely staying in the Football League and things like that.
09:27 But how much of a pinch me moment must this be for Albion fans? You're taking on the cream
09:31 of European football here, aren't you? They were Europa League finalists last season,
09:35 I think.
09:36 Yeah, under Mourinho, Europa League finalists. And they've got some great players there as
09:40 well. But yeah, what a draw, a brilliant draw, to go to a city like Rome, take in the city
09:47 and play a team. They're football crazy in Rome as well. So, you'd expect a fantastic
09:52 atmosphere as well. And I really think the experience that they had in Marseille when
09:57 they went 2-0 down and got it back to 2-2 in a really hostile atmosphere as well. That
10:03 will stand them in good stead. And I fully expect Brighton to go there and really put
10:08 in a strong display and take them back to the Amex and get through. Like you say, Roma
10:14 are such an established, huge, huge club. But if you look at it in the here and now,
10:20 they've been finishing sixth in the Serie A for the last few seasons and Brighton are
10:25 the top end of the Premier League. So, in the actual here and now, the players that
10:29 they've got at their disposal compared to the players that Roma have, I think Brighton
10:33 are more than a match. But yeah, you can't deny that the history of Roma and where Brighton
10:41 have come from is a fantastic story for them.
10:44 It's incredible, isn't it? I've just got to say, I haven't played Marseille and Ajax
10:51 as well. And then Roma.
10:53 Yeah, Amsterdam, Marseille, Athens, what great trips for Brighton fans. Fantastic.
11:00 It'll be a massive dance quibble. They end up going to deepest, darkest Azerbaijan after
11:04 seeing off Roma. But if they do that, they'll be one step closer to the final, wouldn't
11:08 they? So, good luck to them. Best of Sussex luck to Brighton next week. Thank you very
11:12 much for this part, chaps. We're going to take a quick break. And when we come back,
11:15 we'll be talking all things Crawley Town.
11:18 Crawley Town made it three consecutive League Two victories and clean sheets with a 1-0
11:23 win at Agneton on Saturday. Sum that performance up for us, please, Mark Dunford.
11:27 Yeah, so obviously, the Tuesday before, they beat AFC Wimbledon 1-0 and it was just like
11:33 the greatest performance ever by a Crawley Town team. This one wasn't quite so much.
11:37 Scott Lindsay wasn't quite so enthusiastic after this one, let's say. Because, yeah,
11:43 you look at the stats. Accrington had 23 shots on goal compared to Crawley's nine. I think
11:50 Corey O'Day says it had to make 10 saves in those 23 shots. And I think that's what Scott
11:55 Lindsay said afterwards. It was, he doesn't want to have to rely on his goalkeeper to
12:01 win them games. He wants a convincing performance, but they shut out the opposition and then
12:07 get that goal like they did exactly like they did against Wimbledon. But he said, obviously,
12:12 it sort of doesn't matter at this time of the season. It's about getting the results.
12:17 And Lindsay referred to the interview John Coleman, the Accrington Stanley manager, did
12:23 before the game saying nobody in the league seems to want to take control of it. You look
12:27 at Stockport, they lost the game on Tuesday night. Not Stockport, sorry. Notts County
12:31 lost on Tuesday night to Sutton at home. Wrexham drew at Forest Green. And yeah, just no one
12:37 wants to seem to take it. And then you look at team, there's Walsall, I think, have won
12:40 four games on the trot. Crewe are on a really good run, unbeaten in five, I think. And Crawley
12:46 now, unbeaten in four, winning three of those with clean sheets. So, yeah, I think at this
12:52 stage of the season, I think Lindsay's just happy to get through the games winning and
12:56 with a clean sheet. I mean, he goes on about XG a lot. They've had really low XG in the
13:01 last few games. But what does that matter if you're winning the game to 1-0?
13:05 Does it not show you're being, I don't really understand XG, does that not show how clinical
13:09 you're being if you've got a low XG and you're winning games? I don't know how it works.
13:13 I think so. I think it does. Yeah, sorry, Sam, you might be able to understand it more
13:17 than me.
13:18 Yeah, yeah. That's basically what it means. It just means you've not created that many
13:21 chances. But if you're outperforming your XG, it means you are just being incredibly
13:26 clinical with the chances you're creating. But there is an argument that that is not
13:30 sustainable. So if you're not creating a high XG, it means that in future games you might
13:36 struggle to score. I think that's the argument.
13:39 Was that, it was the biggest one ever in the Premier League, was it Man City had the 7.2
13:44 XG or something? Was it something like that?
13:47 Yeah, but to have a 0.39 XG, I mean, I imagine the data-driven American owners will look
13:53 at that and think, oh, that's not very exciting.
13:56 Well, you say that the cold hard facts, Mark, are that they are ninth in League Two and
14:00 just four points off the playoffs. Also saw that the Reds have exceeded both their goals
14:04 scored and points total from last season, although that was kind of a season to forget.
14:08 With all that in mind, Sam, is there any pressure at all on Cawley now between now and the end
14:13 of the season to do anything or is the playoffs dangling in front of them, making it a little
14:17 bit more spicy?
14:18 I wouldn't say there's any pressure. I think it's just excellent they have something to
14:23 play for. It's kind of unheard of, really. I don't think we've ever had this situation
14:28 where it's so late in the season and Cawley can still feasibly finish in the playoffs.
14:32 Certainly, I can't remember a time like that. So I think it's just really exciting they
14:37 have something of that level, that weight to play for and to really, you know, to really
14:42 kind of do their best to get there. I don't think there's any pressure. There's lots of
14:46 teams that are going for it and all they can do is just keep winning games like they're
14:50 doing and see where they end up. But it's just incredible how far they've come. Only
14:56 this time last season, we're in genuine fear that they're probably going to get renegaded.
15:00 And now we're talking about a possible playoff race.
15:03 It's actually in their hands, isn't it? Because they've got the game in hand. If they win
15:08 all their games, they will finish in the playoffs, which is crazy. Yeah. So, fingers crossed
15:14 they do. It'll be really exciting.
15:16 Well, FC Wimbledon game, as mentioned, they won at Wimbledon last week. And post-match,
15:21 I think Danilo Orsi said to you, Sam, that Cawley have proven a lot of people wrong this
15:25 season. Mark, are the Reds relishing the fact that they've kind of upset the apple cart
15:30 and kind of put people's noses out of joint?
15:33 I think they are. They're doing it in a very non-arrogant, showy way, I think.
15:39 Professional, I think we'll call it.
15:41 A very professional way, because they've never said this year what their ambitions and targets
15:46 were and where they think they can finish. I mean, the way Scott Lindsay talks about
15:51 that, you get the impression that they felt they were always going to finish a lot higher
15:55 than anyone ever expected. But I don't know, every time I speak to Scott, I just get that
16:00 impression that he always knew that they were going to really be there or thereabouts around
16:05 the playoffs. But like I say, not in an arrogant way or anything, but just he knew the team
16:10 he'd got together and he knew if they gelled, they could do something special. And even
16:15 if they don't reach the playoffs, I think they still would have done something really
16:19 special this year. But to reach the playoffs, it would be incredible. But yeah, I mean,
16:23 yeah, with the likes of Danilo Orsi, I mean, they didn't get the backup striker they wanted
16:28 in the January transfer window. I think he's played something like 30, would have played
16:33 36 games, 37 games now. And he's never played that apart from in the non-league, but he's
16:38 never played in the professional, in the EFL. Like Grimsby last year, I think he only played
16:44 about 20 games or something like that. So it is incredible what they've achieved with
16:49 the players they've got. So yeah, and I think they are really relishing it. And yeah, they've
16:56 got a couple of games left.
16:59 Sorry Sam.
17:00 It's in the back of their minds, isn't it? The players, whenever I think when we've spoken
17:03 to a player after a game, it's either nine out of 10 times the player always mentions
17:08 about the fact they were predicted to be relegated or finished with the worst ever talent. I
17:12 think the players always say it. So I think it's constantly in the back of their minds.
17:16 It must be motivation, I think. They're constantly talking about that and really trying to prove
17:21 people wrong. So I think that could be, you can maybe put the form down to that.
17:26 Are the crowds up this year?
17:27 Yeah. I wish I had these stats at me. I think their average is about 3,200 at the moment
17:35 for the home crowd this season. And I think, I can't remember what it was last year. I
17:40 think it was maybe 2,700. But like two seasons ago, it was only just over 2,000. So they
17:48 put on over a thousand fans. And I mean, some of that is to do with the, like we always
17:53 say, the owners have done some good things. They lowered season ticket prices. They've
17:56 made the match day experience better. But it does make a difference when your team's
18:01 winning and playing good football as well. So yeah. But we talked about it on the Non-League
18:05 podcast, didn't we, Matt? That all local football seems to be up on the crowds. The Ishmian
18:12 League teams, Worthing, Eastbourne Borough, Hastings, all have really good crowds at the
18:16 moment. And it is helping the teams, I think, because they're all doing reasonably well.
18:23 Further to that point, Mark, I'll go as far as to say that all Sussex teams this season,
18:27 I'm probably going to put a massive curse on this now, but they have all been doing
18:30 incredibly well. You look at Crawley in League Two, Brighton in Europe, Horsham in their
18:35 FA Cup run. It's just been a, Worthing in the National League South, it's just been
18:39 a great time to follow Sussex football.
18:41 Eastbourne Borough have been struggling a bit, but other than that, it's been good.
18:46 They're getting mentioned in the New York Times though, aren't they? Simon Leslie wrote
18:54 about it in the Eastbourne Herald for tomorrow's paper. Yeah, Eastbourne Borough got mentioned
18:58 in the New York Times this week. So yeah, I don't know. I can't remember why, but...
19:03 We'll assume it's positive.
19:05 Going back to Crawley Town, there's going to be two questions, but I'll combine this
19:11 into one. The Reds are at home to Barrow, who boasts a formal Reds striker at Dom Telford
19:18 on Saturday before visiting Morecambe on Tuesday evening. Sam Morton, very quickly, how do
19:23 you see those two going?
19:25 Really tough games. I think obviously Barrow particularly is a massive one because they're
19:30 so close in the table. But Barrow aren't on the best run of form. They've only won two
19:35 games in 2024 and they've lost three on bounce. So I think Crawley will definitely be looking
19:43 to really put their form to benefit, really, and to really kind of take advantage of the
19:50 situation that they find themselves in. And if they were to get a win against Barrow,
19:53 it'd be huge for their race for the playoffs. And Morecambe, I think they're another tough
19:59 game. They're also really close to Crawley in the table, just one point behind. And so
20:04 I think both of those are really crucial games. And I think if Crawley were to come out of
20:08 these games with even four points, I think that would be brilliant. But I see no reason
20:13 why they can't aim for six in the form they're in and against two teams that they definitely
20:19 beat on their day.
20:20 I was going to quickly ask you, Mark, before we go and score predictions, would four points
20:23 constitute a good week for Crawley?
20:26 I think it will. I think obviously Scotland will be targeting six, but I think four points
20:30 would be a very, very good return, especially with one being away. But the home form hasn't
20:34 been as good as the away form in recent games. They won their last home game against Forest
20:37 Green, but before that they lost to Morecambe and to Salford. So, yeah, they really want
20:43 to look at turning that home form around. But if they can get four points, it'll be
20:46 a really good return.
20:47 Absolutely. Well, best of luck to the Reds this week. And lastly and finally, at score
20:51 predictions, starting with you, Darren, we start with Fulham against Brighton in the
20:55 Premier League on Saturday. How do you see that one going? It's another tough game to
20:58 call, I think.
20:59 Yeah, I'm a bit worried for Brighton for that one, actually, because Fulham did well at
21:02 Man United. I'm going to go one-nil Fulham, unfortunately.
21:06 Sam, how do you see that going?
21:08 Yeah, I'm also a bit concerned about how it's going to go. I'm going to go for a draw. I'll
21:13 say one-all draw.
21:14 Finally, Mark, do you see Brighton getting anything out of that trip to West London?
21:19 Yeah, well, I think they will, but I think they'll only get the best they can hope for
21:22 as a draw. I think I'm going to go for two-two, make it a bit more exciting. But is it my
21:26 thinking right that Brighton haven't got a great record against Fulham in the Premier
21:29 League or am I...?
21:30 They have struggled. Yeah, you're right. They have struggled against Fulham in recent seasons.
21:35 Yeah.
21:36 I remember going to cover Fulham Brighton many, many moons ago, and it's when Fulham
21:40 had Andre Schurrle. And for about the first 45 minutes, this 70-year-old woman gave him
21:45 nothing but grief. And he was hauled off at half-time and she got up and punched the air
21:48 when his name came up and he was substituted. So that's my interesting anecdote about Roma
21:53 v Brighton.
21:54 Anyway, moving on to Thursday night, I think this is, we'll say this is the big one, Roma
21:59 v Brighton. Sam, I'm more optimistic about Brighton getting something out of this one
22:04 than I am against Fulham. Do you agree with that?
22:06 Yeah, and I can see the argument, really. I think it's just the massive kind of nature
22:13 of the game, I think, and it's really going to have the fans up, the players up, are going
22:17 to be really, really up for it, of course. I think that can just naturally lead to result
22:22 playing in a stadium like the Stadio Olimpico, which is going to be brilliant for the players.
22:26 Now they've got some experience in their belt as well, playing in these huge arenas. So
22:29 yeah, I can definitely agree with that. I think there's going to be more riding on it.
22:36 Definitely, probably the players will really kind of be focusing on that. And I don't think
22:40 they'll go to Fulham with, they probably won't even be thinking about Roma when they're at
22:45 Fulham, they'll just be focusing on the task at hand. But I don't think they can be blamed
22:49 for really trying to make sure they're fully firing and fit for that one. I think it's
22:54 going to be a really exciting game. So I think, yeah, score prediction, I think. I'll go with
22:59 a two-all draw.
23:00 Tom, unfortunately, has ran against us. So I'm going to ask you very quickly what your
23:05 thoughts are going to be on Roma-Brighton. Darren, how do you see that one going?
23:09 I think Brighton are going to get a 2-0 win in Roma. I think Di Zerbi will love it. Italian
23:14 coach going back to Italy, 2-0 win and then finish the job at the Amex next following
23:20 week.
23:21 Mr Dunford, how do you see it going?
23:23 It's going to be nil-nil and Francesco Tossi being sent off.
23:26 Very, very finally, I'll only ask you this, Mark, as I said, time is against us. Crawley-Barrow,
23:34 Morecambe-Crawley, how do you see those?
23:38 Barrow 2-0, Morecambe, I am going to be confident, I'm going to go for another 1-0 win for Crawley-Saint-Germain.
23:44 So 2-0 on Saturday, 1-0 Tuesday.
23:47 Excellent, fingers crossed for that. Thank you very much for joining us this week, chaps.
23:51 You can catch up with all the latest sports news covering everything we've talked about
23:53 today at sussexworld.co.uk and you can watch more excellent videos on shotstv.com and Freeview
23:58 Channel 276. Thank you very much for listening and we'll see you all next week.
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