Hughton happy with point as Brighton toil
As proven by the Olympians in Rio, getting out of the blocks fast is the key to winning any race. And although Brighton were held away at Reading yesterday, they are still in a good position to play a leading role in the Championship marathon after emerging from their toughest test of the season to date unscathed.
After John Swift gave the hosts an early lead, an own goal from Joey van den Berg and a strike from Anthony Knockaert had seen Brighton overturn the deficit, before Paul McShane levelled midway through the second half.
While the draw saw Brighton lose their place at the top of the table, Chris Hughton was relieved that his side left the Madejski with their unbeaten record still intact after a sluggish performance. “I think a point was fair result, but we certainly weren’t at our best,” said Hughton. “Perhaps the rhythm we’ve had in our game, we didn’t have today – so in the end I am pleased with a point.”
The hosts came into the game after a 4-1 mauling by Newcastle United in midweek, but showed no signs of a hangover as they went a goal up as early as the second minute, when Swift’s inswinging free-kick evaded everyone and found the bottom corner of the net.
Hughton implored a reaction from his shell-shocked side but even he would have been surprised with how speedy it was, as they levelled with the next attack of the game. Another inswinging set-piece, this time a corner from Knockaert, found the head of Van den Berg, who headed into his own goal.
After the initial blows were traded, it was Reading who were able to assert themselves, with French striker Yann Kermorgant going close on two occasions. Brighton were second best and were uncharacteristically sloppy in all parts of the pitch, and would have gone behind again if it was not for Bruno Saltor’s last-ditch challenge on Swift to deny him his second goal.
“For the levels that we’ve been for the three other games this season, I don’t think we reached that – especially in the first half,” Hughton said.
Nevertheless, they started the second period emphatically and took the lead through talisman Knockaert. A long, curling ball from Gaetan Bong allowed Sam Baldock to get in behind the Reading defence and he picked out an unmarked Knockaert to drill the ball into the bottom corner.
The hosts were dominant and with momentum on their side they deservedly equalised a minute short of the hour mark, when defender McShane finished expertly with a crisp first-time strike after receiving a pull back from Garath McCleary.
“Today we had controlled the game. We had a lot of energy, we did very well,” said Jaap Stam, the Reading manager. “We should have got more out of it.”
It was a domineering display from Reading, with McCleary and Kermorgant at the forefront.
And the two combined when the winger found the latter, who produced a spectacular overhead kick that was saved by David Stockdale to deny what would have been an early contender for goal of the season.
In the later stages, however, Van den Berg’s miserable afternoon was completed when he received his marching orders for a foul on Tomer Hemed.