1-0, MIN. 50, LUALUA
Sky Bet Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion raised the curtain on the Football League season in style with a 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest thanks to Kazenga Lualua's well-taken goal.
Forest came out of the traps the quickest with Henri Lansbury coming close within the first ten minutes, only half chances followed in the first period with Lualua, Dexter Blackstock, Beram Kayal and Sam Baldock all coming close. Five minutes later, Lualua gave the home side the lead and that proved to be the difference with the Seaulls getting the first three points on the board.
A first half with a number of chances
It was Forest who had the first opportunity of the match and came mightily close to taking the lead in the eighth minute. The away side had a free-kick 30 yards from goal which was beautifully hit by Lansbury, but the effort just clipped the outside of the post.
Brighton began to dominate from there with Lualua hitting another low shot similar to one earlier in the match, but this effort after 19 minutes was again straight at goalkeeper Dorus de Vries. Tomer Hemed had another chance three minutes later but his weak header was again at the keeper.
It was the home side's turn to hit the woodwork in the 23rd minute, the ball falling perfectly to Kayal on the edge of the area and he managed a sweet, low shot towards goal but could only find the foot of the post.
Ten minutes before the break the hosts went very close once again when Baldock found space on the edge of the area and brilliantly wrapped his foot around the ball which looked to be heading for the top corner but it went just agonisingly wide.
A wonder save to keep the scores level
Despite only being the opening match of the campaign, the game could have seen the save of the season in first-half injury time from de Vries. Hemed rose highest to Solly March’s cross into the area and looked destined to celebrate his debut goal but the Dutchman somehow managed to claw it away from goal to keep the scores level.
However he could do nothing to prevent Brighton taking the lead five minutes after the break. Lualua looked full of confidence and it showed in his strike, a low one from the corner of the penalty box across the face of goal which nestled in the far bottom corner.
Going into the dying embers of the match Forest continued to push for an equaliser and almost got it when Tyler Walker broke away from the Brighton defence with a change of pace but his effort was well saved from David Stockdale, who didn’t have much to do on the night.
Brighton will have Lewis Dunk to thank for the three points after he blocked Blackstock’s effort with ten minutes to play. A long throw-in into the area wasn’t dealt with by the hosts and a goalmouth scramble ensued, but Dunk managed to get in front of the strikers effort to keep their lead.
That proved to be the final effort of the match with Brighton collecting a deserved first three points of the season. Forest will of course be disappointed with their performance, but there is still a very long way to go in this Championship season.
