Skip to main content

Michael Walker at Brighton v Crystal Palace as Leonardo Ulloa stars

0 shares 1

View comments

It is about as distant as a ‘local’ derby can be, it is called after an A-road and was played in a stadium bearing the name of a credit card.

But Brighton and Hove Albion versus Crystal Palace yesterday lunchtime — Seagulls v Eagles — crackled and stung with the authenticity of derbies of greater fame, history and repute.

At its end, Brighton had their first win over Palace in the Amex Stadium, their first home win over Palace on Brighton soil since 1988. The 28,500 in the ground — most of them, anyway — loved it.

Grudge match: Brighton took the spoils in the 'A23 derby' with a dominant 3-0 win against Crystal Palace

    More from Michael Walker...   Wigan have won the FA Cup... but just wait 92 days and it begins all over again 12/05/13   Michael Walker: Newport roar in from wilderness after 25 long years 06/05/13   On the road... Battling Wombles beat the wobbles to survive on day of high drama 28/04/13   Something for the Weekend: Wigan look to dent Spurs' Champions League hopes... Bournemouth hope to clinch title... and QPR could be relegated 25/04/13   On The Road: It's Flynn v Rosler in final day winner-takes-all clash at Griffin Park 21/04/13   Something for the Weekend: Lose to West Brom and Newcastle fans will want to drive Pardew out... Tension is guaranteed in the Championship... and why there's just a glimmer of hope for Harry 18/04/13   Michael Walker: Mega-rich City and Chelsea lay on an old-style Cup thriller 14/04/13   Cardiff concede two late penalties during a weekend of bizarre results... but why are we surprised? It's the Championship! 31/03/13   Meet the English ex-soldier who's drilling Dortmund towards European glory 31/03/13   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE  

Albion are not back in the play-off positions but they are level on points with sixth-placed Leicester City, who travel south in early April.

After two defeats and a draw in their last three games, Brighton needed this. Those three games brought just one goal but here there were three in seven minutes. Leonardo Ulloa scoring two of them.

The Argentine arrived in January from the Spanish second division for an undisclosed fee people here disclose to be around £2m. Ulloa looks well worth it.

This was his 10th start and his seventh and eighth goals. There is never a bad time to have a striker in form but this is definitely a good one.

There are shades of Swansea’s Michu in Ulloa. Both are 26, were ‘found’ in Spain, and can score with deceptive ease.

They are also willing to work. Ulloa’s and Brighton’s first goal, in the 44th minute, saw the forward meet Liam Bridcutt’s long pass with a header 30-40 yards from goal, towards the home team’s right flank. The flick went to Will Buckley, who took control and made for the byline.

Ulloa, meanwhile, loped to the far post. When Buckley’s deep cross came over, Ulloa met it and, with some help from a deflection, Albion were one-up in a game that was hitherto 50-50.

The 44th minute is a fine time to score yet it was to get even better for the hosts before the interval. Palace had arguably threatened more until Ulloa’s athletic opener and Ian Holloway said he rued missed chances.

But the visitors’ defending unravelled too quickly for Holloway to be happy and, in first-half added time, Kagisho Dikgacoi felled Ulloa on the edge of the area.

Spanish spectacular: Leonardo Ulloa rises to head home one in front of the despairing Crystal Palace fans

In charge: David Lopez doubled Brighton's lead in first-half stoppage time

Up stepped another player Brighton acquired from Spain, David Lopez. Gus Poyet would later say only Gianfranco Zola takes better free-kicks than the midfielder brought from Athletic Bilbao. Lopez confirmed that with a curler that clipped the bar on its way in.

‘It was the last kick of the first half, that changed the game completely,’ Poyet said. ‘It looked like being maybe 0-0 at half-time and then we were two-up. What I said at half-time was changed completely.’

Holloway, as he does, threw on Kevin Phillips in response, but within six minutes the Palace defence again vanished. Andrea Orlandi headed a Lopez centre back across the six-yard box and Ulloa was left free to volley in. The contest was over.

Perfect timing: Gus Poyet admitted the two goals just before half-time changed his team talk completely

Championship Top Eight

‘He’s different class, Leo, and I knew it,’ Poyet added of his derby-day hero. ‘He’s completely dead tired in there. He moves well and he cares.

'On the way back from Barnsley, when he missed a penalty, he was devastated. There aren’t many like him. But I don’t want to say too much, I don’t want to lose him. Can you imagine if we’d had him since August?’

That’s a what-if question but Poyet was delighted that, after the blip, saying ‘something really achievable’ is now on the Albion agenda, when another draw or defeat might have seen the season peter out.

After the international break, Brighton go to Nottingham Forest. Palace have Birmingham City before travelling to Holloway’s former club Blackpool.

That's sealed it! Ulloa turns away after scoring his second goal - Brighton's third - against Palace

They could have jumped to second with a victory and sighs from Hull and Watford could be heard on the south coast.

Plenty of banter could be heard too, though Holloway called all the rivalry talk ‘a waste of breath’. The pre-match focus on Glenn Murray fell into that category. Palace’s former Brighton striker was eclipsed by Ulloa.

And what did Ulloa think of his first taste of the ‘A23 derby’?

‘It’s a Clasico,’ he said, smiling. ‘Beautiful’.

BY THE WAY Fouled and fouled again, Wilfried Zaha cut a frustrated figure at Brighton. He will hope the Barclays Premier League suits his style more. And that referees protect him.

Marked man: Wilfried Zaha had an afternoon to forget as Brighton continually fouled him

 

LEAGUE TWO SURVIVAL FIGHT SO TOUGH

There is a lot of understandable excitement about the unpredictable promotion scene at the top of League One, where just six points cover the top seven teams.

Yet, at the bottom of League Two, where the stakes are just as great, there are five clubs on 40 points and York City on 41. Aldershot and York have played a game more than the other four. Three of them, Accrington Stanley, Barnet and Torquay are at home tomorrow night.

Accrington, bottom on goal difference, were 3-0 up against Barnet on Saturday. Barnet then scored two and had player-manager Edgar Davids sent off.

  More... Brighton 3 Crystal Palace 0: Ulloa strikes twice for high-flying Seagulls as they shoot down Eagles in grudge match Click here for Sportsmail's Football League blog







Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o