FIRST HOME LOSS FOR UNITED

FIRST HOME LOSS FOR UNITED

Teixeira and Lua Lua get the goals for Brighton...

UNITED 0, BRIGHTON 2 (Teixeira 5, Lua Lua 84).

United: Silvestri, Byram, Pearce, Cooper, Warnock, Austin, Tonge, Bianchi, Murphy (Cook 80), Smith (Ajose 46), Sharp (Poleon 80). Subs. S Taylor, Bellusci, Wootton, Norris.

Brighton: Stockdale, Salter, Greer, Dunk, Agustien (Lua Lua 59), Calderon, Chicksen, Teixeira (Hughes 90), Forster-Caskey, Holla (Ince 75), Mackail-Smith. Subs. Ankergren, O'Grady, McCourt, Toko.

Referee: J Adcock.

Booked: Austin, Murphy, Pearce (Leeds), Holla (Brighton).

Att: 21429.

United head coach David Hockaday made two changes to his starting line-up for the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion. An injury to Souleymane Doukara meant a start for Matt Smith, who had signed a new three-year deal just the day before and Michael Tonge was the second change of the evening. There was also a place on the bench for new signing Giuseppe Bellusci who will be hoping for his first appearance from the bench.

It was a nervy start for United and was made worse in the 5th minute when the away side took the lead. There was a suspicion of offside in the build-up to the goal but the linesman kept his flag down, and Joao Teixeira made no mistake when he was played through on goal. The forward smashed the ball goalwards and across Marco Silvestri to give his side the early lead.

Other than Brighton's opening goal, the first 30 minutes passed by with very little in the way of mouth-watering action and both sides were guilty of giving the ball away.

But United sparked into life following the half-hour mark and created two good opportunities in the space of a few minutes. First Luke Murphy had a shot blocked on the edge of the area after good link-up play between Billy Sharp and Smith. And moments later Michael Tonge had a shot from just outside the box but he rather rushed his effort and it went wide.

With five minutes of the opening half remaining the away side had a great chance to double their lead. Adam Chicksen, who looked lively throughout the half, crossed for Inigo Calderon and he had a free header at the back post but the full-back sent it over the crossbar.

United began the second half in a more positive manner and were pressing the away side higher up the pitch. Brighton enjoyed time on the ball during the opening 45 minutes but that wasn't the case during the early stages of the second half.

As the half went on United grew in confidence and came into the game more. With 20 minutes of the half remaining United had a real chance to level the contest following great work by Sam Byram. The defender pulled the ball back for Tonge but the midfielder's shot was cleared off the line by Calderon. Moments later half time substitute Nicky Ajose threatened but his curling effort went wide of the left hand post.

United were looking the more likely but with 10 minutes of the game to go the away side struck on the counter-attack. The fresh legs of substitute Rohan Ince outpaced United's defence but he could only find the post with his shot.

But, in the 84th minute another Brighton substitute Kazenga Lua Lua put his side further ahead with a powerful free-kick that was taken right on the edge of United's penalty area.

Lua Lua's strike proved to be the final meaningful action of the evening and Brighton left Elland Road with all three points.

X