BRIGHTON ROCKED
Hughton is humiliated as relegation fight looms
SO we do have a relegation showdown after all. Brighton may have a five point lead and a game in hand over Cardiff but that feels a very precarious position indeed after Chris Hughton endured his worst day in charge of the club.
The fact that the Welsh club are up next at The Amex on Tuesday will not help his mood after watching his side capitulate. It is now four points from a possible 18 at home in 2019.
The visitors dominated from the outset, with Dan Gosling giving them a first-half lead before Ryan Fraser doubled the advantage shortly after half time.
Anthony Knockaert was shown a straight red for a wild lunge on Adam Smith and Eddie Howe’s men took full advantage of the extra man, with David Brooks, Callum Wilson and substitute Junior Stanislas adding to the score.
Watching the heaviest defeat since the move to their new home in 2011, the half-time whistle was greeted with a chorus of boos from home supporters.
Hughton admitted the reaction was fully justified. ‘It’s not something that we’ve experienced before,’ said the Brighton boss.
‘We have to take this on the chin, it’s our worst defeat and our worst overall performance. We have no choice but to be better. We have a game Tuesday night here. Everybody will be looking to see the type of reaction.’
From the off, Fraser looking particularly menacing down the left and he started the move that produced the inevitable opener.
There was no real urgency as the Scot passed the ball across from the left, midway inside the Brighton half but the defence parted and Wilson provided the final pass to Gosling, who had time to take a touch before picking his spot. A more potent attacking display from Bournemouth was largely down to Howe’s decision to switch from his favoured 4-4-2 to 3-4-3. It may be a shape he decides to keep, although their defensive resolve was rarely tested here. Ten minutes after the interval they doubled their lead, Wilson again the provider. He rolled the ball into the path of Fraser, who slipped as he went to shoot, helping the ball loop over Mathew Ryan and into the top corner.
It deflated a charged home crowd that had been rallied by a flashpoint five minutes earlier when Chris Mepham appeared to put his head into Florin Andone’s. Both players were booked, but Kevin Friend’s card would not stay in his pocket all afternoon.
Knockaert had endured a frustrating afternoon and his emotions got the better of him as he flew in needlessly on Smith on the lefthand side of the Bournemouth area and was given his marching orders.
‘It was a late challenge but I don’t think he’s meant to hurt him,’ was Howe’s assessment of the tackle. Hughton was less forgiving.
‘It’s a reckless, emotional challenge,’ he said. ‘When things are not going well for us it can be an emotional game. Anthony didn’t deal with it well enough.’
The dismissal was the signal for the floodgates to open.
Brooks was the first to take advantage, cutting in from the right to exchange passes with Fraser before firing under Ryan.
Wilson added a goal to his earlier assists, taking down Fraser’s cross from the left and making space before firing home from the edge of the six-yard box, before Stanislas added the fifth in stoppage time.