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Live Commentary: Bournemouth 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion - as it happened

Live text coverage of Saturday lunchtime's South Coast clash in the Championship between Bournemouth and Brighton & Hove Albion, courtesy of Sports Mole.
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The Saturday lunchtime Championship fixture in Gameweek 17 saw two South-Coast clubs meet as Bournemouth hosted Brighton & Hove Albion at Goldsands Stadium.

The game finished one apiece as Ashley Barnes's half-volley on the turn cancelled out Matt Ritchie's first-half free kick.

Read how it all unfolded in our minute-by-minute updates below.


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Morning all! The first Football League game this weekend sees ailing Bournemouth host in-form Brighton. Team news coming right up...

BOURNEMOUTH XI: Camp, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, Arter, O'Kane, Fraser, Rantie, Pitman

BOURNEMOUTH SUBS: Flahavan, Harte, Yennaris, Surman, MacDonald, Pugh, Thomas

BRIGHTON XI: Kuszczak, Calderon, Greer, Upson, Ward; Ince, Crofts, Forster-Caskey; Conway, Barnes, David

BRIGHTON SUBS: Ankergren, El-Abd, Bridcutt, Andrews, Agustien, Orlandi, Lita

The Cherries include two former Seagulls in their lineup as Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick start. Top scorer Lewis Grabban is out completely, with Brett Pitman and Tokelo Rantie leading the attack.

Brighton manager Oscar Garcia is without right-back Bruno Saltor, who is serving a one-match suspension. Inigo Calderon gets the nod in his place while up front Ashley Barnes continues to lead the line with first-choice striker Leonardo Ulloa a long-term absence.

REFEREE WATCH! The man with the whistle today is Jon Moss, who often takes charge of games in the Premier League. He's only given out one red card this year and that was at Old Trafford when he sent off Crystal Palace's Kagisho Dikgacoi in September.



These two haven't met since the 2010-11 season. That year Bournemouth won this fixture 1-0 thanks to a Liam Feeney goal.

PREDICTION TIME! Just 10 minutes until the off in sunny Bournemouth so it's time for my prediction on the match. I'm expecting an enthralling match and will sit on the fence and say score draw, 2-2 if you want specifics.

Speaking of enthralling games, last night's match in the Championship was a belter as Reading came out on top of a five-goal game at Forest. Click here for match report and pictures.

Let's take a look at how the table stands ahead of the rest of Gameweek 17's fixtures. Brighton are ninth and could climb into the top six with a convincing two-goal-or-more victory. Bournemouth, meanwhile, are 16th but will rise up four places into the top half with three points.

Here come the two teams out of the tunnel. Bournemouth in their home colours of red and black while Brighton have changed to their away kit of all-yellow even though their home colours of blue and white would have been fine.

Here's a video from Bournemouth's Instagram of the players exiting the tunnel:

KICKOFF! The yellow-shirted Seagulls get us underway at a sun-soaked Goldsands. Lovely stuff.

Decent turnout from Albion's supporters:


Cook heaves a long throw into the centre of the box but Moss blows his whistle for an infringement in the middle. No goalmouth action in the early stages.

Ritchie bursts down the right on what is his first start of the season for the home side and slings over a low cross that's well held by Kuszczak.

Elphick rises highest at the back post but his header back across the face of goal is too high for Pitman. Bournemouth by far the better side early on.

Conway looks disgusted as a pass from Ince is overhit and goes out of play. Not sure Barnes has touched the ball up front for Brighton yet.

Conway with a curling cross after cutting in from the right. Barnes is inches away from connecting and the flag stayed down even though replays show that the frontman was a good yard ahead of the play.

Fraser wins a cheap free kick off Calderon and the hosts have a free kick just to the left of the area. It's a great position to swing it in but Pitman hits it low and Brighton clear.

Ince with some neat footwork to escape a pair of red-and-black shirts in the middle. He finds Crofts who then wastes possession with an aimless outside-of-the-boot pass. Still no shots either on or off target from either side.

A groan from the Brighton end as another pass in the final third is messed up, this time by Barnes.

A shot! Pitman has the first effort of the game with a speculative overhead effort from the edge of the area that Kuszczak collects easily. Brighton go up the other end and have a shot of their own but it's a tame effort from Forster-Caskey that Camp watches wide.

Bournemouth fail to properly clear a Brighton free kick and Ince's snap-shot is well struck but blocked. Game starting to open up a little.

Former Albion teammates Barnes and Cook clash heads but they're OK to continue.

It's all gone a little bitty in the last five minutes or so. Plenty of cheap free kicks and little flair.

JUST OVER! Moments after typing that there's a good chance as Calderon gets forward down the right. His initial cross is cleared but the ball lands back to him and his half-volley on the stretch whizzes a yard or so over.

Bournemouth attack soon after and Francis does well to find Pitman in the middle but the striker is near the edge of the area and scoring a header from there is nearly impossible. His glancer doesn't even test Kuszczak.

SAVE! Crofts drags his shot nastily wide but luckily for him Barnes is waiting at the back post. He's got no right to shoot from such a tight angle but tries anyway. Camp isn't fooled and beats it out fairly comfortably.

GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-0 BRIGHTON (RITCHIE)

The Cherries are in front as Ritchie, making his first start of the season, lashes a 20-yard free kick low into the corner. Kuszczak was blinded and could only watch as Ritchie's swerving shot whizzed past him.

Ritchie wins points for that crisp strike but he is sporting an awful haircut. Nothing on the sides and a load of messy blonde hair on top. Not a good look.

SAVE! Fabulous stop from Kuszczak as he denies Ritchie grabbing his and Bournemouth's second. It was a brilliant cross from the left from Fraser that missed everyone in the middle but found Ritchie on the stretch at the back post. He did well to get it on target at all and Kuszczak was there to make a smart reaction save.

Brighton win a corner and a chance to put some pressure on but Conway swings it straight into the hands of Camp. Far too easy.

Poor again from Conway as he collects a pass from Calderon but can only scoop his cross over the bar and out of play.

Upson appears to clearly drag down Rantie but referee Moss isn't interested. That was right in front of the assistant as well. How neither have seen that is quite astonishing.

Ritchie is in confident mood and he takes on another free kick that is deflected just wide.

Garcia will want to get his men in and give them a talking to at half time while Howe will feel that his side should get a second with this dominance.

ONE minute of added time indicated as Brighton continue to draw a blank going forward.

HALF-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-0 BRIGHTON

The Cherries deservedly lead by one at the break then. Brighton have had just one decent chance and even that was a tough one for Calderon to take. Bournemouth, meanwhile, have looked far more threatening and perhaps should be in front by more than one.

If you're only just joining us and want a quick recap of the first period we have a half-time report for you right here.

Here's the table as it stands, with Bournemouth climbing four places and squeezing into the top half while Brighton are missing out on the chance to move into the top six. The Cherries are continuing their solid home form as well. They've won just once on the road but this would be their fifth home maximum.

Looking at the stats it's quite even with Brighton edging possession (54%) but Bournemouth ahead on the shot count with seven to Brighton's five. The Cherries have got three of those seven on target while Brighton have tested Camp just once.

Later on today we'll have HT and FT reports of all nine 3pm kickoffs in the second tier. We also have individual live text updates of all six Premier League games, five of which kick off at 3pm before Newcastle vs. West Brom at 5.30pm. Busy busy!

The two teams are back out and Brighton have made a chance as Liam Bridcutt replaces Jake Forster-Caskey. The former is one of Albion's brightest talents but is only just returning from injury, hence why he started from the bench.

KICKOFF! Home side Bournemouth get us back underway at Goldsands. The sun is still shining on the South Coast.

Lovely stuff from Pitman as he flicks the ball past his man on the left but then overshoots on his cross and there's no-one at the back stick.

Patient buildup from Albion as they work the ball from left to right before Crofts is teed up and blazes a 22-yard effort well over the top.

CHANCE! Greer gifts the ball to Ritchie and he slips in Pitman brilliantly. Kuszczak is out quickly and makes himself big to deny the frontman. He perhaps should have clipped it over the former Manchester United man there.

O'Kane charges into Crofts and shoulders the Brighton man in the face. Remarkably, no foul given but play is still stopped because of the head injury suffered. A lump has already appeared on Crofts forehead. Nasty.

Here's the moment that Ritchie sweetly struck in the opener:


Ritchie scythes down Conway and it looks like a bookable offence but Moss continues his leniency with a talking to.

GOAL! BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 BRIGHTON (BARNES)

If Ritchie's goal was a good'un, this is a BELTER! An innocuous looking throw-in finds Barnes with his back to goal on the right of the area. He juggles the ball before smashing a left-foot half-volley into the far corner with Camp completely helpless. What a goal!

Poor decision by Ince as Brighton look to break. He had a man free on the right and Barnes cutting through the middle but went for a shot that dribbled towards Camp.

Long hoist over the top that should be brought down by Barnes but he can't get it under control with just Camp to beat.

Pitman floats a free kick to the back post and Cook gets above Upson but can only direct his header a yard or two wide. With half an hour to go, this game is there for the taking.

Today's attendance at the Goldsands Stadium is 9,870, with 1,341 travelling Seagulls.

BRIGHTON SUB: Garcia makes his second change of the afternoon as the ineffectual David Lopez is replaced by Andrea Orlandi. Bournemouth yet to make a sub.

BOURNEMOUTH SUB: Howe doesn't wait long though and brings off record signing Rantie for Wes Thomas.

BRIGHTON SUB: And another change, the final one for the visitors as energetic Ince is replaced by Keith Andrews. The Irishman is always a goal threat popping up in Frank Lampard-style.

Conway hasn't been too impressive so far but shows up with a lung-busting run down the left before flashing a fierce cross along the face of goal where there's no fellow yellow shirt to tap home.

Right, we're into the final 20 minutes now and there hasn't really been a clear-cut chance since Barnes's sublime equaliser. It really is difficult to say which side has a better chance of grabbing a winner. Brighton are in the in-form side though and have had 61% of the ball in the last 10 minutes.

CHANCE! That's a good look for Pitman as he times his run well through the middle but can only pull his shot wide of the target from the edge of the area with Ward closing in about to make a challenge.

Ward shows braveness to take the ball off Ritchie before driving into the Bournemouth half and finding Barnes, who tries another left-foot shot on the spin but smacks this one high and wide.

Ritchie may have shown weakness in the tackle moments ago but that's better as he volleys low from 20 yards. Kuszczak should watch it wide but he gets a touch to it to concede a corner, which he then collects well on the stretch. Quarter of an hour to go!

Bournemouth switch off and allow Conway in behind down the left. He gets to the ball before it goes out but again there's no Brighton man in the six-yard box as he flashes it across the face of goal.

Lovely in-swinging cross from Orlandi that Elphick has to hack out for a corner. Orlandi trots over to take the corner which is headed out by Francis for another.

Conway takes this one and that's caught easily by Camp. Barnes challenges him once caught and Camp's flinging forearm catches Barnes in the face. The Brighton man is making a bit of a meal of it to be honest. Not much there.

CHANCE! Ritchie and Francis work a quick free kick well before the latter's cross falls to the former who can only swipe a volley miles over.

The Cherries look to be the side who are going to go for this a little more as Thomas near-post effort takes a deflection before rippling the side-netting.

FOUR minutes of time added on for either side to find a winner. As it stands my prediction of a score draw looks good.

YELLOW! I said before the game that Moss tends not to dish out red cards. He only gives Upson a yellow here for a late, late tackle on Ritchie. Could have easily seen red but he's now down injured after appearing to injure his shoulder.

After a couple of minutes' delay because of Upson's injury. Arter chips the free kick to the back post where Brighton clear. Not long left now.

FULL-TIME: BOURNEMOUTH 1-1 BRIGHTON

Ritchie slices a late shot from distance wide and that's that. Bournemouth and Brighton share the spoils at Goldsands. Brighton's three-game winning streak is ended while Bournemouth are now six games without a win.

Here's the latest table ahead of this afternoon's nine 3pm fixtures. Both sides stay where they started the day with Brighton ninth and Bournemouth 16th. That is likely to change come 5pm though.

That's all we've got time for on SM on this game, thanks for joining us. Look out for match analysis on site in around half an hour's time. Click here for all of this afternoon's scores, scorers, reports and commentaries. Enjoy!

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Brighton & Hove Albion manager Oscar Garcia attempts to break into a smile on August 10, 2013
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