CITY 2 BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION 1
League Division 2
17th September 1988
Attendance 16,033
Scorers
City I Brightwell(5), Moulden(57)
Brighton Bremner(51)
Ref J Rushton
City Dibble, Seagraves, Gayle, Hinchcliffe, I Brightwell, Redmond, White, McNab, Lake, Morley, Moulden – subs Gleghorn(unused), Biggins(unused)
Brighton Keeley, Chivers, Dublin, Curbishley, Isaac, Gatting, Nelson, Owers, Bremner, Wilkins, Codnor – subs Wood(70), Crumplin(unused)
From LETHAL, THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF PAUL MOULDEN
… We were home to Brighton, and I kept my place in the starting XI. It was strange running out at Maine Road given all the various scenarios I’d played out in my head over the past 18 months, and it felt like I’d never been there before, I can’t explain it better than that, but I’d been through so much and everything felt different. We were wearing blue shirts and white shorts, my favourite City kit and one that we hadn’t wore for a while (though I had in the reserves). I didn’t like the all-blue kit.
I felt like I was seeing everything through new eyes. I looked around before kick-off and just thought, ‘You’re in your own back yard, you’ve scored goals and played well here and no one is going to stop you now after all you’ve been through. So, get your arse in gear, you’ve got a chance.’ That was all I ever wanted, a chance. It was a tight game, and I played a poor pass in to Trevor Morley, but he did brilliantly, turning and putting Brighty through to score. I knew I was playing catchup with my team-mates but my boots didn’t feel right, so at half-time I changed them for a pair of Umbro Internationals, and they felt really good. I was focused on what I needed to do. I had to score, because if I didn’t then I knew I’d be back out again.
If I got the opportunity, I was going to shoot on sight. We went back out and I received a pass, turned my marker and was just about within shooting distance, so I went on to autopilot, trusted my instincts, and hit a shot from 35 yards that flew into the top-right corner like an arrow. It was one of the best feelings in my life. All the doubt, being called a cheat, the doom and gloom and frustration was gone in a instant and I felt I’d proved what I was capable of, if to nobody else, to myself, that I could still do it. I felt I was back, and I still had a future at City whether Machin was in charge or not…
