City of Peterborough rock Brighton in National League upset

City of Peterborough delivered a superb all-round performance to become the first team to beat Brighton in an East Conference Leaguue match this season yesterday (October 28).
City of Peterborough's Cameron Heald can't force the ball past the Brighton goalkeeper. Photo: David Lowndes.City of Peterborough's Cameron Heald can't force the ball past the Brighton goalkeeper. Photo: David Lowndes.
City of Peterborough's Cameron Heald can't force the ball past the Brighton goalkeeper. Photo: David Lowndes.

City won 3-2 at Bretton Gate, a scoreline that didn’t actually do them justice for a dominant display.

There was a blistering start to the game as the teams swapped outstanding individual goals in the first seven minutes.

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Ben Read opened the scoring for City in the second minute after making a tackle on halfway, racing unchallenged into the ‘D’ and firing an unstoppable reverse stick strike into the corner of the goal.

Action from City of Peterborough (red) v Brighton. Photo: David Lowndes.Action from City of Peterborough (red) v Brighton. Photo: David Lowndes.
Action from City of Peterborough (red) v Brighton. Photo: David Lowndes.

But Brighton were soon level as prolific goalscorer Joe Naughalty dribbled his way down the goalline before slotting past Cameron Goodey in the City goal.

Anyone expecting an onslaught from the visitors were to be disappointed. Instead City rallied and kept Brighton pinned in their own half. Three short corners came and went before Joe Finding found his range from number four, delivering a tidy, low finish in the 25th minute.

Brighton have a fearsome penalty corner routine of their own, but three in quick succession just before the break were thwarted, the latter by a superb save from Goodey.

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Grady Wing slapped home a penalty corner for 3-1 two minutes after the break before Adam Wilson and Brendan Andrews missed glorious chances to extend City’s lead.

Action from City of Peterborough's National League won over Brighton at Bretton Gate. Photo: David Lowndes.Action from City of Peterborough's National League won over Brighton at Bretton Gate. Photo: David Lowndes.
Action from City of Peterborough's National League won over Brighton at Bretton Gate. Photo: David Lowndes.

Brighton did finally find some possession, but City defended so well the visitors couldn’t even win penalty corners until the final moments when Dutchman Robbert Schenk slammed one home with 60 seconds to go.

A second win of the season moved City upto sixth in the 10-team division and they get the chance to claim another big scalp when visiting Surrey to face second-place Oxted on Sunday (November 4).