SM
Ipswich vs. Man United: 58 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
BL
Championship
Aug 7, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
NF

1-0

LuaLua (50')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Kazenga LuaLua strike fires Brighton & Hove Albion to victory

:Headline: Result: Kazenga LuaLua strike fires Brighton & Hove Albion to victory: ID:237895: from db_amp
Kazenga LuaLua's strike leads Brighton & Hove Albion to a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on the opening night of the Championship season.

Kazenga LuaLua scored the winner as Brighton & Hove Albion kicked off the new campaign with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

After battling in the bottom half of the table for much of last season, the win is sure to come as a boost to the Seagulls, who came into the new campaign on the back of a disappointing 20th-place finish.

Chris Hughton's side made a bright start to the match when LuaLua created space for himself to test Dorus de Vries with a powerful low strike, but there was drama at the opposite end just a few moments later as Henri Lansbury rattled the post with a free kick from 30 yards.

Forest were then thanking the woodwork when poor defending allowed Beram Kayal to find space on the edge of the box and strike the post with a powerful effort.

For much of the first half it was Brighton who looked the more dangerous in possession, but Forest carried a threat on the break with the lively Michail Antonio, who forced David Stockdale into a save after a fine solo run.

However, the hosts applied the pressure heading into the interval as Dale Stephens tested De Vries with a header just moments before Sam Baldock fired his effort a few inches wide of the post.

De Vries came to the rescue again in first-half stoppage time by pushing away a close-range header from Tomer Hemed, who was making his Brighton debut following a summer move.

The Forest goalkeeper had no chance of keeping out the hosts early in the second half as LuaLua worked space for himself on the left side of the box before picking out the corner with a low finish.

Dougie Freedman's side responded well to the setback and enjoyed long spells on top, but chances were tough to come by until substitute Tyler Walker dragged a shot wide after being found by Antonio.

The introduction of Walker added a different threat for Forest, and the youngster was almost rewarded for a fine run on the break when he forced Stockdale into a low save.

Brighton were happy to work on the counter in the closing stages as they looked to protect their slender advantage, but hesitancy in the box almost gifted an equaliser to Forest when Walker flicked on a long throw, but Dexter Blackstock failed to add the finishing touch under pressure from Lewis Dunk in the six-yard box.

Forest struggled to build any sustained pressure in the closing stages of the match in a game which underlined just how much they miss Britt Assombalonga, who is expected to be out of action until Christmas, and Brighton held off the visitors to clinch all three points on the first night of the new season.

amp_article__237895 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2015-08-08 12:36:43:
html db last update - 2015-08-08 12:36:43 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool119112161528
2Manchester CityMan City127232217523
3Chelsea126422314922
4Arsenal126422112922
5Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton126422116522
6Tottenham HotspurSpurs1261527131419
7Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest125431513219
8Aston Villa125431919019
9Newcastle UnitedNewcastle115331311218
10Fulham125341717018
11Brentford125252222017
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd114341212015
13Bournemouth124351617-115
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham113351319-612
15Everton122551017-711
16Leicester CityLeicester122461523-810
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves122372028-89
18Crystal Palace121561017-78
19Ipswich TownIpswich111551222-108
20Southampton11119721-144
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .