Leeds United vs Brighton and Hove Albion. Sky Bet Championship.
Elland RoadAttendance22,736.
Saturday 17 October 2015 19:52, UK
Substitute Bobby Zamora's 89th-minute goal earned table-toppers Brighton their first win in October for four years as Leeds completed a club record 11 home games without a victory.
Solly March shot the Seagulls into a 14th-minute lead but Liam Cooper headed a quick equaliser and after Cooper had limped off late in the game, Zamora lobbed Brighton's winner against Leeds' 10 men.
Head coach Uwe Rosler demanded a big improvement after complaining Leeds lacked "aggression, dynamism and physicality" in their home defeat against Birmingham last time out. Yet the defensive problems that have haunted Leeds for much of the season rapidly surfaced again as Brighton seized the lead from their first serious attack.
March raced on to a measured through ball from Beram Kayal, cut in from the left and found a gap between keeper Marco Silvestri and the near post for his first goal of the season.
The Seagulls' lead lasted just eight minutes. Lewis Dunk brought down Chris Wood on the right and from Alex Mowatt's left-footed free-kick, Cooper made Brighton pay with a glancing far-post header to register his first goal for 11 months.
The goal boosted Leeds' confidence and they almost scored again when Gaetan Bong fouled Tom Adeyemi just outside the penalty box. Mowatt lifted the resultant free-kick into the goalmouth where Wood contrived to head wide when he should have scored.
Brighton, who had rarely looked a top of the table side, lost Scotland international Gordon Greer five minutes before the interval through injury, German Uwe Hunemeier taking his place in central defence.
Chris Hughton's men started the second half brightly, Beram Kayal and Liam Rosenior linking well to carve out a chance for March who was foiled by Silvestri at the foot of a post. Little was going right for Leeds striker Wood who could only turn the ball over the bar from eight yards when Brighton failed to clear Mowatt's inswinging corner.
Seagulls keeper David Stockdale was a mightily relieved man when his clearance kick rebounded off Mowatt and sped just outside the keeper's right post. Yet it was Leeds' turn to breathe a sigh of relief in the 64th minute when March drifted in from the right and saw his powerful shot thud back off the bar.
Rosler decided to go for broke by replacing midfielder Mowatt with striker Mirco Antenucci in the 67th minute but Brighton were well organised at the back, while Leeds' final ball too often went astray.
Having already used all their three substitutes, Leeds lost Cooper with a knee injury with six minutes left and Brighton took full advantage. Bong played the ball through to Zamora who finished superbly with a chip over Silvestri.
"Things are just not going for us at the moment. There were three key moments in the game. They scored from their first attack and I feared the worst but we showed terrific character and got a quick equaliser. The second key moment was when Chris Wood didn't take his unbelievable opportunity."
Brighton manager Chris Hughton:
"We deserve to be where we are at the moment. We were probably not at our best today but we showed a willingness to fight to the end and get the right result. Bobby Zamora came on and scored about ten minutes later and I am delighted for him."
