Neal Maupay: Why Brighton's leading scorer deserves some respect

Ian Hart: I’m now in a small privileged group of Albion fans.
Neal Maupay celebrates his late leveller against SouthamptonNeal Maupay celebrates his late leveller against Southampton
Neal Maupay celebrates his late leveller against Southampton

It contains those that in the past 17 years have seen the quickest Albion goal (scored by Maheta Molango after 12 seconds at Reading in August 2004), and now the latest Albion goal in a league fixture, Neal Maupay’s 98th minute equaliser at St Mary’s.

Unless there’s further unusual circumstances, those are two club records I cannot see being broken.

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Saturday’s trip to Hampshire to effectively fight for the bragging rights as the best club on the south coast, took a downward turn for the Albion even before a ball had been kicked, with Lewis Dunk out injured, almost certainly until the New Year.

Then once 3pm arrived, we saw a game of football that encapsulated the ‘slings and arrows’ of the beautiful game.

Southampton should have been home and hosed within 20 minutes with three gilt-edged opportunities, then for the second game running the Albion went down to 10 men after the using all three substitutes, but as at the Olympic Stadium in midweek, the much-maligned Neal Maupay popped up with a last-gasp equaliser.

I hope one product of the back to back away draws is that the small section of the Albion support on Maupay’s back get off it.

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Now the Albion go into Sunday’s home game with Spurs with a worrying injury list, with no Dunk, Welbeck, Webster, Lallana, possibly Trossard and Shane Duffy suspended. Or do they?

A reported Covid outbreak at White Hart Lane could yet see the game postponed despite UEFA, at time of going to press, invoking the rule for Spurs European tie this evening, ruling that if they have 13 players fit, including two keepers, they have to play.

The EPL is a different ball game. This would have been a great time for the up-to-now bang-average Spurs team to take on Brighton, but I think Tottenham will play safe and push hard for a postponement.

Hopefully the injury list might have a better look,about it by the time Wolves turn up at the Amex next Wednesday.

It’s 10 games without a win for the Albion, so a 2-0 win over Wolves will do nicely.