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My shout for a guest report from the Brighton game was answered by Mike Hooley, a man who’s first game, at the age of eight, was the ’81 Cup Final Replay. Good start! Unsurprisingly for someone getting their Spurs education in the ’80′s, his favourite player is Glenn Hoddle.

Here’s Mike’s take on yesterday’s match:

Brighton 2 Spurs 3: Pre-season friendly, 30th July 2011.

Spurs (4-4-1-1): Friedel (Gomes 45); Courlua, Dawson, Kaboul, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Jenas, Livermore, Bale; Van der Vaart(Defoe 32); Pavlyuchenko

The official opening of the brand new American Express Community stadium, Brighton’s gleaming new home at Falmer, signalled a new beginning for the hosts as they embark on life in the Championship. For Spurs, it was a penultimate opportunity to prepare for what promises to be a crucial season.

There were no surprises in the Spurs line-up, but it was certainly one likely to be much closer to the starting 11 in two week’s time – whereas the previous night’s Spurs XI was mostly a side of players the club is prepared to let go. With Modric, Huddlestone and Sandro apparently all ill or injured, an opportunity presented itself for Jake Livermore, and the youngster acquitted himself well, capping an encouraging performance with Spurs’ third goal.

Brighton started brightly and tested Friedel as early as the third minute, with the American veteran forced to make a double save. Further warnings arrived for the visitors in the shape of a dangerous ball across the goal and then a penalty area scramble in the Spurs rearguard before the ball was eased to safety.

These warnings weren’t heeded however, as the Spurs players struggled to get into the game on a rare warm and sunny summer’s day, and Ashley Barnes opened the scoring for the Seagulls with a tap-in after a low cross from inside the area – a goal far too easily conceded from Spurs’ point of view.

Tottenham at last started to rouse themselves as Pavlyuchenko and Lennon combined before the latter fired wide. Then came Spurs’ best move so far on 20 minutes, Livermore won a tackle in the central area before a flowing move involving Van der Vaart and Lennon saw the ball arrive back to Livermore, who unleashed a fine dipping shot from the edge of the area left to right, the ball evading the keeper’s despairing dive before hitting the crossbar and rebounding to safety.

That move failed to kick-start a prolonged period of pressure though, and Brighton quickly reasserted their grip on the match, forcing a corner and then a header just over after pressure from Dawson, before a shot which Friedel spilled unconvincingly before it was cleared to safety.

After 32 minutes Van der Vaart hobbled off after picking up a knock – apparently not serious – to be replaced by a striker with it all to prove again this season, Jermaine Defoe. It wasn’t long before the diminutive striker had a shot blocked as Spurs began to put some pressure on the home team, with Pavlyuchenko likewise seeing a strike charged down.

With four minutes until half-time, suddenly Spurs were level, and the source of the somewhat unexpected equaliser was Gareth Bale, the Welshman attacking from the right, taking on two opponents with a couple of neat stopovers before putting the ball on a plate, with the help of a deflection, for centre-back Younes Kaboul to tap home.

Just a couple of minutes later Spurs grabbed another – from an almost identical position on the right side of the area. This time Defoe worked the ball to Bale, who slipped a pass inside the full-back which might have been cut out, but Vedran Corluka made an even unlikelier scorer as he managed to shrug the defender off and poke a shot inside the near post.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage first-half performance and it would be fair to say that Spurs’ lead was undeserved. Nevertheless Spurs did manage to nick two goals, with Bale instrumental in both from the right side, and Livermore impressed, providing encouragement.

True to his word to give the players a full 90 minutes, the only change from Harry at half-time was the seemingly much-loved but accident-prone goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes replacing Friedel. Presumably we can infer that the number one spot is still up for grabs, though previous comments have suggested that Redknapp will retain Gomes to start the season. (I lost patience with Gomes last season after too many poor, basic errors, and so would choose Friedel. Why the club didn’t go for the younger Shay Given I’m not sure…).

But back to the game, Spurs certainly looked more dangerous in the second period, though Brighton still had their moments. It was Spurs who made most of the early running, with Defoe shooting narrowly wide and Lennon causing some trouble with a couple of trademark jinking runs from the right. Then from the left, a near-post Assou-Ekotto cross was headed narrowly wide by Spurs’ Russian striker, who appears now to be Redknapp’s first choice ahead of Defoe and Crouch.

Approaching the mid-way point of the second half, and just as Spurs has surprised their hosts with those two late first-half goals, Brighton were suddenly level after the livewire Kazenga Lua Lua cut inside from the left and fired hard and low to Gomes’ right – the Brazilian might be a little disappointed not to have got closer to it, though it would be harsh to attach too much blame.

Another potential injury scare then followed as Bale was scythed down by a nasty looking challenge that caught the winger on his ankle. Having been in attendance when Charlie Adam ended Bale’s season prematurely back in April, it was with a sigh of relief that Bale was able to complete the game apparently unaffected.

With 20 minutes left, Livermore chased a back pass down, but under no real pressure the home team’s substitute keeper inexplicably presented the ball straight back to the midfielder, who rounded his opponent and calmly slotted the ball home past the covering defender on the line, right in front of the Spurs fans.

The game somewhat ebbed away over the closing stages, with Gomes making a regulation stop at one end, before Jenas’s attempted chip was clawed away for a corner. The last word went to Brighton, with a shot that went narrowly wide, but Spurs held on to claim the first ever victory at the Amex stadium.

Overall there was not a great deal to learn from the game, except that reinforcements are needed if Spurs are to get back into the coveted top four, which is surely the season’s primary goal, though of course a trophy of some description would be very welcome. Livermore performed well and perhaps can push for a place on the bench, but Spurs missed the creativity and passing abilities of Modric and Huddlestone, plus the all-action Sandro. Further forward, a quality striker is clearly sought with Defoe and Pavlyuchenko not quite at the level Spurs will need. Surely some reinforcements can’t be too far away, despite the club still yet to shift the likes of Keane, Bentley, Hutton, Dos Santos and Palacios.

Mike Hooley.

(@mjhooley on Twitter)

THFC1882:  Stuart Watts (@Studub on Twitter) & Rob Handworker