Oops! Forster’s clanger hands Brighton a draw
SOUTHAMPTON’S manager Mauricio Pellegrino was forced to defend Fraser Forster after the goalkeeper failed to keep out Glenn Murray’s header which secured a point for Brighton.
Forster got a hand to the ball but Murray’s soft effort was already over the line by the time the England goalkeeper tried to claw it out.
‘It was a bit unlucky,’ said Pellegrino. ‘The ball deflected off Cedric’s head and surprised a little bit our goalkeeper.’ Right back Cedric Soares was also at fault for his lacklustre attempt to beat Murray to the ball, allowing the striker to nod Pascal Gross’s deep cross into the top left corner.
For Brighton it was another decent result at the Amex, especially after they fell behind to an early Steven Davis goal.
The draw with Southampton, a side on the fringes of the top six, moved Brighton into mid-table. How relegation-threatened clubs fare on their own turf can be key to survival and if Chris Hughton’s side keep this up, their rivals will be worried.
‘We haven’t been embarrassed in any games,’ Hughton said. Brighton have lost at home only once in the league, and that was to Manchester City on the opening day. The Amex is no fearsome fortress, but the players are buoyed by the family feel of the seaside support. ‘Now to play Brighton away is not a good moment,’ said Pellegrino. ‘Mentally they’re really high. Now the motivation to play every point is high, most teams suffer on this pitch.’
Southampton’s seventh-minute strike was an uncharacteristically poor start for Brighton. The free-kick from James Ward-Prowse was exquisite. Slightly to the left of the penalty area, he swerved the ball with his right foot, sending it arcing up and on to the left post just below the joint. Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan had flung himself at the ball so the goal was open and Davis reacted faster than any other player and stooped to nod it in. Brighton had a chance to equalise shortly before the break but it was fluffed by Anthony Knockaert. Gaetan Bong sent an inswinging cross from the left that landed perfectly for his teammate at the back post. Rather than go for goal from close — albeit at a tight angle — Knockaert attempted to steer the ball back and got it all wrong.
Brighton’s deserved leveller came seven minutes into the second half. Oriol Romeu will rue his poor clearance on the edge of Southampton’s area, straight to Knockaert, who passed out to Gross on the right. His cross went deep. Murray’s header wasn’t particularly powerful, but was so close to the top left corner that though Forster reached the ball it was already over the line.
Gross, a £3million summer signing from Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga, has been involved in seven of Brighton’s 10 Premier League goals, scoring two. Only City’s David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne — both with six — have laid on more this season.
‘He’s a player we knew was capable of getting assists,’ Hughton said. ‘To be doing it at this level as a new player just into the Premier League, it’s outstanding. In Premier League terms, there’s not an awful lot you can get for that sort of money.’
With 20 minutes remaining, a long punt upfield dropped into the path of Jose Izquierdo. Rather than cross, Izquierdo ran at Soares, clearly sensing weakness, and fired a shot that Virgil van Dijk blocked with his stomach before crumpling to the ground and not looking best pleased with the manner of having to bail out his team-mate.