Albion lose at Huddersfield

Albion were unable to make it three wins in eight days as they went down 2-1 away to Huddersfield.

Nicky Forster scored his 17th goal of the season from the penalty spot early in the second half following a foul on strike partner Glenn Murray.

His fifth goal in six games cancelled out Andy Holdsworth's third-minute opener and launched Albion's best spell of the match.

However, a second penalty, this time for the hosts, allowed Luke Beckett to make it 2-1 11 minutes from time.

Albion lined up as expected, Kerry Mayo making only his third start of the season at left-back in place of the hamstrung Matt Richards.

Guy Butters, Joe Gatting and David Martot were all brought back into contention on the bench.

There was no place in the Huddersfield squad for Robbie Williams, who equalised with a spectacular free-kick in the 1-1 draw between the teams at Withdean in January.

Former Albion striker Andy Ritchie shuffled his pack, recalling Luke Beckett to partner Andy Booth upfront in a switch from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 following the last-gasp home defeat by Southend on Saturday.

A sparse crowd reflected Huddersfield's position. At the start of play they were both ten points adrift of a play-off place and the relegation zone so, on the face of it, there is not much incentive for them for the rest of the season.

There is, of course, plenty at stake for Albion and yet they were in for a rude awakening, falling behind in the third minute.

They were caught napping as Booth held the ball up for Andy Holdsworth to run into the penalty area unchallenged before beating Michel Kuipers with a shot into the roof of the net.

It was an early blow but there was no evidence of panic in the Albion ranks, nor should there have been.

They came from behind to win at Walsall last week and in Forster and Murray, who were each on target in that victory in the West Midlands, have a pair of strikers capable of unsettling any League One defence.

They combined to almost restore equilibrium in the 14th minute. Murray headed into the path of Forster but his angled shot on the run, although well struck, flashed narrowly wide of the near post.

That was the singular threat posed by the Seagulls in the opening half-hour of the contest. Mistakes were aplenty from both sides, a bare pitch punished by rugby as well as football offering some excuse but Huddersfield carried more menace.

Andrew Whing produced a timely tackle when Beckett was about to pull the trigger and Nathan Clarke headed on to the roof of the Albion net from a Chris Brandon corner.

The main difficulty for Albion was the aerial prowess of Booth. The long-serving target man was at the heart of a flurry of activity inside the Albion area in the later stages of the first half which they were fortunate to emerge from unscathed.

Kuipers deflected behind a shot from Michael Collins and, from Brandon's resulting corner, Booth's header was cleared off the line by Mayo.

Kuipers tipped over another header from Booth, who also set up Beckett for a lob which again finished on the roof of the net.

The only comfort to be derived from Albion's flat performance in the first half was that their deficit was not more substantial.

They needed to raise their game and Forster and Murray obliged once more to haul them level two minutes into the restart.

Forster, willing as ever, charged down an attempted clearance by Rob Page and, as Murray twisted and turned inside the box, he was brought down by Holdsworth.

Forster drove the penalty beyond the diving Matt Glennon, his third spot-kick in the last six games.

Goals often change games. This one certainly did because Albion suddenly looked vibrant and dangerous.

Steven Thomson fired over after Forster set him up, then Forster himself shot narrowly wide of the far post from Ian Westlake's header into his path.

Glennon, rarely troubled up to that point, distinguished himself by pushing efforts over the bar from Joel Lynch and Murray, the latter an audacious dipper from 35 yards.

Huddersfield were as impotent for much of the second half as the Seagulls had been in the first, a shot on the turn by Beckett just wide of the far post proving to be an isolated concern to Kuipers.

The home fans grew restless, which is always an encouraging sign for the away side, although much of their angst was directed at Tommy Elphick.

The young centre half had his nose bloodied in the first half and the Huddersfield faithful felt he made rather too much of an aerial challenge by Booth which resulted in a booking for the veteran front man.

Albion seemed to be on course for at least a point until a second and much more controversial penalty decision by referee Darren Deadman with 11 minutes left.

Whing was penalised for bringing down Brandon when the winger appeared to have over-ran the ball. Kuipers was booked for protesting before Beckett beat him from the spot.

It was a painful way to lose, particularly as Murray hit the upright with a header from a tight angle deep into stoppage time.

The loss of El-Abd, stretchered off after trying to tackle Malvin Kamara, could have deeper implications for Albion's pursuit of a play-off place. His versatility is invaluable.

Albion (4-4-2): Michel Kuipers; Andrew Whing, Tommy Elphick, Joel Lynch, Kerry Mayo; Dean Cox, Steve Thomson, Adam El-Abd, Ian Westlake; Nicky Forster, Glenn Murray. Subs: Guy Butters, Jake Robinson for Mayo (withdrawn, 81), Joe Gatting for Cox (withdrawn, 84), Tommy Fraser for El-Abd (injured, 89), David Martot.

Scorers: Forster (47, penalty).

Huddersfield (4-4-2): Matt Glennon; Frank Sinclair, Nathan Clarke, Rob Page, Andy Holdsworth; Malvin Kamara, Jon Worthington, Michael Collins, Chris Brandon; Luke Beckett, Andy Booth. Subs: Danny Schofield, James Berrett for Holdsworth (withdrawn, 76), Danny Broadbent for Beckett (withdrawn, 90), Aaron Hardy, Danny Racchi.

Scorers: Holdsworth (3), Beckett (79, penalty).

Attendance: 6,004 (342 Albion).