BOBBY ZAMORA cemented his status as a Brighton & Hove Albion hero by claiming the Championship leaders’ 89th-minute winner to condemn Leeds United to a club record 11th successive home game without victory.
Brighton remain the last unbeaten side in all four divisions in England after Zamora rose from the bench to home in on Gaetan Bong’s astute pass and waft the ball over Marco Silvestri for his first goal for Brighton, to whom he returned from QPR in August, since May 2003.
A third straight defeat was harsh on Leeds, who went down to 10 men five minutes from time when defender Liam Cooper, their goalscorer, went off with a knee injury after all three substitutes had been used.
However, any social-media angst supporters were expressing this past week that Uwe Rosler considers promotion beyond his team’s reach this season should now surely subside. Indeed, it is not impossible that these two clubs could be two divisions apart come next season as Brighton, now four points clear, continue to ride a wave of confidence built on the organisation and assuredness instilled by manager Chris Hughton.
Leeds are three points above the relegation zone and with Massimo Cellino’s track record of hiring and firing, Rosler will surely need to pick up points from this week’s trips to Fulham and Bolton.
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Elland Road is an intimidating venue for visiting teams, but this Leeds team don’t seem keen on playing there either. They have not won at home since March.
Yet they played well in the first half and deserved to have been ahead at the break, despite going behind to Brighton’s first attack in the 14th minute when Solly March ran in behind Scott Wootton on to Beram Kayal’s excellent through- ball to dispatch his first goal of the season. Cooper equalised midway through the half, heading on a swirling free-kick from Alex Mowatt. From another set-piece delivery, Mowatt’s cross offered Chris Wood the opportunity to score in the 33rd minute but the striker headed wide.
Brighton improved after the interval, making more of the wide areas that Leeds’ condensed midfield allowed and, in the 62nd minute, March cut inside from the right flank to strike a shot against the crossbar.
Brighton pressed for the win and when Cooper went off and Wootton came inside for Sam Byram, an earlier substitute, to revert to right-back, Brighton exploited the vulnerability. Zamora broke down that channel on to his left-back’s pass and scored with all the aplomb Brighton fans have appreciated over the years. “That’s testimony to Bobby Zamora,” Hughton said. “He gives the team and the club a good presence.”
Star man: Solly March (Brighton)
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Leeds United: Silvestri 4, Wootton 5, Cooper 6, Bamba 6, Berardi 6; Adeyemi 5, Dallas 6 (Buckley 62min, 5), Cook 7, Mowatt 6 (Antenucci 67min, 5), Botaka 6 (Byram 78min, 5) Wood 5
Brighton: Stockdale 5, Rosenior 5 (Crofts 60min, 5), Saltar 6, Dunk 6, Bong 6, Greer 5 (Hunemeier 40min, 5), Stephens 6, Kayal 7, March 8, Baldock 6, Hemed 7 (Zamora 78min, 7)