Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-23s welcome Middlesbrough to the Amex Stadium on Friday evening in the Premier League 2 Division 2 play-off semi-finals, kick-off 7pm.
The Seagulls qualified for the play-offs after finishing third in the league table, and Simon Rusk’s team will now look to secure their place in the play-off final against either Aston Villa or Reading.
Promotion to the Premier League 2 Division 1 is the prize for the winners of the play-offs, but the Seagulls must first overcome Boro, who finished three points behind Albion in fourth position.
The semi-final match will be decided on the night, with the game going to extra time then penalties if required after 90 minutes.
Rusk’s side scored five goals against Boro in their two meetings already this season, as the teams drew 2-2 on the south coast, before goals from Henrik Bjordal, Viktor Gyokeres and Ben Barclay sealed a 3-0 victory in the north east.
Since a 2-1 defeat to Reading in January, Albion have strung together an unbeaten run of 15 matches within 90 minutes, despite exiting the Premier League Cup to Swansea City on penalties.
The regular season ended with 15 goals in three matches for the Seagulls, as they claimed back-to-back 5-1 victories over West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City, before an emphatic 5-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
Aaron Connolly fired a hat-trick to extend his goal tally to 11 in all competitions, while Viktor Gyokeres got his name on the scoresheet for a sixth successive game, as he notched his ninth of the season
It’s arguably the biggest game that Albion’s under-23s have played in recent seasons, and a bumper crowd at the Amex would certainly help Rusk’s in-form side, as they go in search of promotion.
With Albion’s first team in action at Burnley on Saturday afternoon, this under-23 play-off semi-final is a perfect opportunity to kick-start your weekend before travelling to Turf Moor.
Ticket prices for the match are listed below:
| Adults | £5 |
| Under-16s | £2 |
| Over-65s | £2 |
*The game is not free for season-ticket holders, due to it being a play-off match. Season-ticket holders wishing to attend must purchase tickets.
Seating for the match will be unreserved in the West Stand Lower, and the turnstiles will opening an hour before kick-off at 6pm. Parking for the match is also free in Car Park A (Bennett’s Field).
Supporters are strongly advised to book their tickets in advance at seagullstickets.com, however the ticket office will be opening on the day of the game from 9am.