Seagulls flying high as Poyet mulls options

BRIGHTON boss Gus Poyet has been given a headache of the right kind by his team's successful start to the npower League One season.

Albion came away from what appeared to be a tricky fixture at Plymouth on Tuesday night with a 2-0 victory, courtesy of goals from Tommy Elphick and Ashley Barnes, the latter netting against his former club.

It was a fourth win of the season for Poyet's Seagulls, lifting the team up to the heels of leaders Huddersfield.

And the win, which was accompanied by a third clean sheet on the trot, was achieved despite the absence of key players.

"We earned a great win and we have still got Radostin Kishishev and Gordon Greer to come back so that gives me a big selection problem which I like," Poyet said.

"The reactions were great and you learn a lot from the players on games like tonight.

"At the end of the day it's about winning and it doesn't matter who plays.

“The guys that started, and the guys who came on really proved their points tonight and now it's up to me to pick the right team for Saturday against Oldham."

As well as Greer — the centre-half once linked with Athletic, who made a summer switch from Swindon — Poyet has stiffened his defence by signing former Leeds goalkeeper Kasper Ankergren on a two-year deal.

Bookmakers tipped Albion for a promotion push before a ball was kicked and the hope at the club is that they can mark a last-ever season at the Withdean Stadium with promotion back to the Championship, a division they were relegated from in 2006.

Owner Tony Bloom is not afraid to spend the cash to fuel his ambition and the club's profile will be raised when it moves into the brand new 22,500 all-seater stadium in Falmer from next season — thus ending a nomadic period of 15 years without a permanent home.

Last season's visit to Brighton was a triumph for Athletic, who registered a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Pawel Abbott and Reuben Hazell.

It was a result which lifted Dave Penney's side to ninth in the League One table — but it was also the point at which the slide to the relegation zone can be traced back to.

Athletic won only one of their next 12 matches, as a host of injuries — including the loss of Abbott due to a hernia operation – took its toll.