BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION 4 CITY 1
League Division 1
29th December 1979
attendance 28,093
scorers
City Lee(37)
Brighton Clarke(1 & 33), Ward(27), Lee(75)
Ref T Spencer
City Corrigan, Ranson, Donachie, Caton, Bennett, Booth, Reid, Daley, Henry, Power, Lee – sub MacKenzie(unused)
Brighton Moseley, Gregory, Williams, Horton, Foster, Stevens, Ryan, Ward, Clarke, Lawrenson, O’Sullivan – sub Stille(79)
REPORT PUBLISHED IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 18TH OCTOBER 1980
A tactical experiment, playing Tommy Caton in midfield and Nicky Reid as close-marker on striker Ward, disrupted the Blues and they had no answers to contain Brighton who scored through Clarke (44 secs, 33 min.), Ward (27th min.) and Ryan (75th min.). Stuart Lee hit the consolation goal (37th min.).
It was a shattering start for the Blues. Willie Donachie was outwitted by Lawrenson on the by-line and the resultant lofted cross, despite missing Ward, fell to Clarke who was allowed too much time to awkwardly jab it on the volley past Joe Corrigan. Chances piled up before Ward turned sharply inside Reid to drive spectacularly into the far corner of the net. O’Sullivan engineered the third leaving Ward to send a penetrating first-time through pass to Clarke, who outpaced Tommy Booth and netted.
City switched Caton back to his customary defensive role and with Paul Power pushed further forward they scored when Lee glanced a near-post header home from Tony Henry’s left wing centre.
But in the second half, as the Blues surged into attack, they were regularly caught on the counter-attack and when Ryan picked up the ball in his own half they were deep in trouble. The winger ran three quarters of the pitch, with Ward and Lawrenson taking players away, and he side-stepped Booth on the edge of the area before flicking the ball past Corrigan with the outside of his right foot.
Brighton had made light of the muddy conditions and City’s scant joy was an enterprising display by Henry, helped mainly by Power, Steve Daley and Dave Bennett. Ward led the visitors defence a dance and it was fortunate that all Brighton’s earlier chances didn’t produce the goal avalanche that looked likely.