SOBS: BRIGHTON

The Lads, aka the Mag Slayers, headed south without most of our African contingent and magically, stoically, battled out a point on the south coast. Don't lose - and we didn't, which is the main thing. How we managed to keep them out is a thing of mystery, the secret to which is something that Regis has concocted - and well done that man.

The ticketing system having made a right Woltemade of sending me the link, the journey was a nervous one. Away Brighton early (see what I did there?), would the Brighton ticket office come up trumps with the "dupe list" and would "dupe" mean "duplicate" or "dupe"? Anyhow, all worries about the curse of the former player (Danny Wellbeck, who I've always liked watching, and Tommy Watson, who seems to be either broken or out of favour) were balanced by the fact that any Brighton scouting of our games would have seen us with Talbi, Reinildo, Sadiki, and Traore (and Masuaku, if they'd looked hard enough) - and they wouldn't be playing.

Options, options. Talbi - Adingra (curse of the former player) and Mundle, or even Issy or Mayenda at a push. Reinildo - Cirkin, Geertruida, or even Hume. Sadiki - Neil, Rigg, Geertruida.

Quick change at Victoria, where the assistant at WH Smith asked if I was from Europe. Hmm. Anyway, paper ticket collected - I can only imagine that my youthful good looks convinced them that I couldn't possibly qualify for an oldie's ticket - I was back to town and the Prince Albert for a spot of people watching. Let's just say Brighton is joyously cosmopolitan, has pizza machines, and next time we play here I'm staying over. A crammed train to Falmer and the team news arrived...

Roefs

Mukiele Ballard Alderete Hume

Xhaka (c) Geertruida

Adingra Rigg Le Fee

Brobbey

... and a bench of Patto, Isidor, Mayenda, Neil, Cirkin, Mundle, Hjelde, Jones, and Diarra.

Great to see the injuries cleared up for Dennis, Leo, and Habib, and nice of the lady with the Brighton scarf to hand out sherbet lollies to Sunderland bairns near the turnstiles "because it's a long trip."

Hey - I like sherbet lollies!

In our black kit (have I said before that I don't like it?) we kicked off attacking the far end, which is apparently north. Immediately, we looked to Adingra on the left, who was very obviously up for showing what the Seagulls had let go. With Rigg sort of drifting to the right, we had width as Gerty partnered Xhaka in the middle while Brobbey ploughed a lone furrow up top. Who knows what he'll do when we get him facing the opponents' goal.

There was an early home corner on our left which Roefs dealt with, and he was there again to deal with another ball in. Top man, bringing the usual "Roefs on fire" chant. We won a corner our own on our left, then there was a foul on Brobbey 35 out. Chance? The eventual shot brought rather than forced a save, but their keeper had to be more alert when Enzo banged one towards his left hand post.

Just when we were getting on top of things, they were awarded a questionable free within shooting distance - soft shot, easy for Roefs, who was dominating his area. Which was nice - he came for it, he got it.

Smashing.

With Adingra being very obviously our out-ball, he did a lot of good, sprinty, stuff down the left, but without the killer final ball. For the majority of the first half we were the more positive and dangerous side but we couldn't create a really good chance. There were a couple of really unpleasant "challenges" on our Lads, which brought deserved yellow cards, but it didn't seem to put the home side off flying into a few more. Football, innit?

Roefs dealt with a soft free then a more awkward ball, as we basically bossed things. A naughty chop on Enzo gave us a chance, but we couldn't find a way through their back line. Same with ours, which is surely being recognised as one of the tightest in the world. Aye, the WORLD!

That was the story of the first half, and it's added three minutes, really. We'd been the better, more positive side, but lacked that final whack at the goal. Still - not getting beat is a good thing and another potential point.

Right, deservedly level at the break on proper chances, with Rigg getting blocked and Alderete having a header tipped away soon after. We probably could have been ahead, but we applied pressure which Brighton repelled, and then... there were changes. Changes which meant home domination - the players might, quite rightly, believe in their ability to build brick walls, but it makes for scary viewing.

Tackles? We've got a few. Subs? Adingra off for Mundle, Rigg for Diarra, and Romaine gave it a good go down the left, having a shot blocked and generally getting amongst. Having said that, we conceded space and the ball and had to endure stuff that Ballard probably loves but puts the frights on me. Mind, Le Fee's low one from the right eventually found Mundle but the shot wasn't too much bother for their keeper.

They brought on Milner (as old as my youngest!) but I think by this stage they were looking not to get beat as much as we were. Brobbey for Issy - well, if the latter got stuck in as much as the former it would be nice. Mundle had a shot saved, Brighton hit about three off target, which was nice, and we steadied the ship at the back.

There's confidence, which turned out to be justified, but some of Omar's flicks and clearances scared the life out of me - even if they did all come off. As you'd expect, on came Wembley hero Tommy Watson to generous applause - but we allowed him precisely nowt.

The four added minutes went by in a flash (see my pants catching fire?) but seemed to take an hour - another point in the bag. Back to town and onto one of the maddest train rides in my years following the Lads. We sang, Con started the Bry, Bry, Bryan Brobbey song that is almost certainly a classic already, and when the little lass didn't like the songs, we turned to Wise Men Say - which she loved and waved at us throughout. That's what football is all about. I hope she had a good Christmas.

Another point on the road, another game undefeated and that'll do for me. All that way for a 0-0 draw? Aye - what of it?

Man of the match? So many to choose from. Adingra was a constant pest until half time, Xhaka was Xhaka, Geertruida filled in way more than competently, while Rigg showed that he's a Prem footballer despite getting hoofed up in the air a lot. Having said all that, it has to be a defender. Alderete - thinks he's Pele and it is it usually comes off. Mukiele - Rock. Hume - boom. All good stuff, but Big Dan gets my vote - snuffed them out and was oh so close to scoring.

Canny, this, isn't it?