Brighton 0 Walsall 1 - analysis

Improbable. Impossible. Extraordinary. Astonishing.

As Jimmy Mullen’s Withdean Warriors left Brighton with all three points, superlatives to describe their performance and events in East Sussex were running out.

They had defied the odds. They were quite simply brilliant.

Rhys Weston and Netan Sansara’s first half dismissals looked set to condemn the Saddlers to defeat but Walsall had not only refused to read the script, they had left it torn and shredded in the dressing room.

From their only effort on target, indeed their only meaningful effort of the entire game, Dwayne Mattis headed the winner just before half-time.

The undeniable belief was the Saddlers wouldn’t hang on to their surprise lead after the break. Yet they had brought their bucket and spade to the seaside with them and dug themselves into the trenches.

Whether there was an impromptu church service in the visiting dressing room at half-time remains to be seen but something was said during the 15 minute interval. Something profound.

A quite stunning defensive display was the base for the astounding result with Clayton Ince, Anthony Gerrard and Steven Roberts putting their bodies on the line to keep the waves of blue and white shirts out.

Crosses rained in and Ince plucked them out of the sky like they were gift wrapped, as he claimed his first clean sheet in 20 matches. The ironic fact was that it came with nine men.

Gerrard and Roberts were immovable. Time and time again headers were won and tackles were made.

If any questions still remained of Gerrard’s commitment to the Saddlers they were wiped away, any questions of Roberts’ fitness and quality evaporated.

While the nine-man Saddlers frustrated their hosts, Brighton, for all their possession, failed to penetrate. It may have been because of the visitors’ steely resolve but their woeful use of the ball in the final third contributed to their own downfall.

Dean Cox’s remarkable miss, when he was left free at the far post on the hour, only added to their woes.

With the extra space, the Seagulls failed to produce one meaningful through ball or penetrating move, and when they did pierce the area, a wall of black shirts awaited them.

As they defended with their lives at one end, Walsall occasionally had the audacity to enter their opponent’s half but neither Jabo Ibehre or replacement Troy Deeney could have been expected to make any impact.

It was more one-sided than a Conservative election poll but, as the old cliche goes, goals win games and Walsall did what was needed.

The win will only add to the confidence which will be exuding from every pour from Essington this week – a place among the early pacesetters secure, the next challenge of maintaining it awaits.

The Carlisle side who visit the Banks’s Stadium on Saturday would be well advised to note the desire and attitude of the Saddlers when the going gets tough.

Whether Michael Ricketts is fit remains a doubt after he missed out with a bruised bone in his foot, forcing Mullen to shuffle his pack and deploy Ibehre as a lone striker.

Skipper Stephen Hughes returned to centre midfield as Richard Taundry moved to the right, Alex Nicholls positioned himself on the left and Marco Reich was charged with supporting Ibehre.

A missing former England striker aside, the Saddlers arrived at the south coast buoyant following their win at Bristol Rovers but were immediately under pressure as Nicky Forster made early inroads.

The former Birmingham striker twice escaped the attentions of the Saddlers’ defence but was unable to find the finish before Weston was sent off after 15 minutes.

Cox picked up the ball in space on the half way line, took one touch to slide the ball away from the onrushing Weston, whose late challenge left the winger in a crumpled heap.

It was rash from the 27-year-old and referee Mike Thorpe, who had sent two Gillingham players off in his last trip to the Withdean last season, duly produced the red card to stun the Saddlers.

Virgo tested Ince soon after and Forster saw the keeper fumble an angled shot, as the Seagulls pressed. They were given another boost in the 33rd minute, when Sansara joined Weston in the early bath club for his foul on Hart – queue the rearguard action.

Pot shots from Steven Thompson and Virgo failed to find their target, before something incredible happened.

Ibehre won a free-kick 30 yards out and when Palmer dinked the ball in, Mattis rose to divert the ball past the flat footed Michael Kuipers for a surprise half time lead.

How exactly the Saddlers had taken the lead was obvious. How they intended on keeping it was not.

resh from a half-time rocket, Brighton started with purpose and Glenn Murray’s header caressed the top of Ince’s crossbar before a rare raid forward saw Nicholls feed Ibehre but the striker failed to get his shot off.

It was the last time the Saddlers would threaten, as the Seagulls’ as the hosts piled forward. The sight of Gerrard and Roberts, not to mention Hughes, winning everything was devastating for Brighton.

Efforts from Tom Fraser and Ince’s low save from Hart’s header seemed mere inconveniences for the visiting defence as Walsall ran the clock down for a fine win.

It left the home fans and players dumbstruck and, well after the final whistle, crushed Brighton winger Thompson milled around the empty stadium looking like a little boy lost – but perhaps he was just looking for a superlative of his own.