Alan Shearer pinpointed a “remarkable” game of two halves as Newcastle were pegged back by Brighton at the AMEX Stadium.
The Match of the Day pundit praised Jonjo Shelvey for running the first half but admitted that the Seagulls had surprised him with just how negative and “lazy” they were in the opening 45 minutes.
With Brighton desperate for points to stave off relegation, it was a surprise that the Magpies were so dominant in the first half. And even more surprising was just how different the situation was in the second half.
Shearer said: “The difference was remarkable. They were lazy, scared, nervous in the first half. They weren’t prepared to put a shift in and Newcastle dominated the first half. The space around Jonjo Shelvey was just incredible – no one was prepared to do the hard work from Brighton.
“Shelvey was picking his head up and placing passes with ease. It was unbelievable from Brighton. The back five at Newcastle didn’t have to do anything but in the second half it changed. He brought Solly March on and he pressed. Everyone got 10 or 15 yards further up the pitch and pressed Newcastle. All of a sudden Glenn Murray comes alive and Newcastle’s defence had to work.”
United eventually conceded when Pascal Gross headed past Martin Dubravka in the second half. “They could have won the game but I think a draw was a fair result. The change from first and second half was remarkable,” Shearer said.
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