Cardiff City v Brighton and Hove Albion, 09 September 2000

Brighton were unchanged from the team that trounced Torquay 6-2 last week, and gave further evidence of thier improvement with a solid performance at daunting Ninian Park. After standing firm from the Bluebirds early pressure, the Seagulls soon assumed control. They went close from Gary Hart, Nathan Jones and Paul Watson before Peterborough United loanee Matthew Wicks put them ahead. Watson moved out to the left to accept a short corner from Charlie Oatway for Wicks to head in his left foot cross from an unchallenged position at the near post. Goal ace Bobby Zamora soon had a great chance to make it two, and the miss was to prove costly. A Cardiff corner was only half cleared and, with sixteen players in the box, midfielder Danny Hill netted with a superb chip from eighteen yards out. Rob Earnshaw nearly found an unlikely City winner when he hit an upright with an acrobatic overhead kick.