BALTIMORE, Maryland May 9, 2014 - The cruelest of all soccer events, the own goal, doomed Brighton and Hove Albion in the first leg of their Championship League Playoff Series with Derby County. Playing at the Amex in Brighton, the Seagulls thrilled their home fans by racing into the lead in the 18th minute on a sensational goal by Jesse Lingard. Lingard came onto a ball in the box and blistered a shot, but, said the BBC, Ram keeper Lee Grant managed a save, but without controlling the ball (the Daily Mirror reporter said it was Jake Buxton who blocked the first shot and not the keeper). Lingard came to the rebound and whacked it past Grant to put Brighton in front. It lasted for eleven glorious minutes.
In the 29th minute the Rams' Craig Forsythe was fouled in the box by Seagull Matthew Upson. Selected to take the penalty, Chris Martin easily beat Brighton's Keeper, Tomasz Kuszczak.
Now the half was at hand and Martin was at it. He took a hard shot from long range in stoppage time and it banged off the cross bar. Good news for Brighton? Bad news for Brighton! After clanging off the bar, it hit the back of Tomasz Kuszczak. Then it richocheted into the net. The Rams marched off to half smiling and thinking about Wembley Glory.
Brighton did not go down without the stiffest of fights. Seagull Coach, Oscar Garcia, said it was "unfair" that Referee Roger East did not award a penalty kick to his lads, although both Inigo Calderon and Leonardo Ulloa were both sent tumbling in the area. But East did not, in fact, call fouls on either play. Despite this, Brighton came oh so close to an equalizer. Both Ulloa and Stephen Ward got off terrific shots but Lee Grant was up to the difficult task and saved both.
In a two-leg playoff such as this, the cummulative result decides the winner. Thus, either a win or a tie by Derby County on Sunday on their pitch will send the Rams to Wembley on May 24, time to be announced.
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