Pre match news
Mark Hughes made six changes from the team that thrashed Portsmouth, with Schmeichel, Ball, Ben-Haim, Johnson, Fernandes and Sturridge all starting.
The Match
The hosts began brightly, keeping the ball well and not showing any fear despite a dispiriting defeat against nine-man Walsall here at the weekend. Even so, City had the first couple of chances with Kompany firing wide before Sturridge smacked one straight at Kuipers.
Kasper Schmeichel, starting his first City game in just over a year, had the woodwork to thank on 20 minutes as Albion went close to taking a shock lead. Thomson beat the offside trap on the right flank and homed in on City’s goal, but his shot from an angle curled just too far beyond Schmeichel and struck the post. The Blues were lucky, especially with Murray nearly pouncing on the rebound.
But City, in the red and black away kit, nearly struck back almost straight away, Kuipers making a good save from Ireland after a neat exchange of passes.
Thomson worried the City defence again on 29 minutes when he tried to latch on to a ball over the top, but Michael Ball hooked it away over his head at the last second as he, Thomson and Schmeichel converged.
Two minutes later Brighton’s Dutch keeper made another good save, getting low to block Jo’s shot, and within 60 seconds he was right behind a well-struck shot from Danny Sturridge. Kuipers was at it again on 37, parrying away a Johnson shot that came at the end of a flowing City move down the right.
Ten minutes into the second half City had a golden opportunity to allay their nerves when Sturridge flicked the ball over the right of the box, but Fernandes’ diving header flashed back across Kuiper and went wide of the post. Jo’s raking effort four minutes later from the left of the box was tipped wide by the impressive Brighton stopper.
But City’s 850 or so fans breathed easier on 64 minutes when we took the lead. Albion lost the ball in their own half and it quickly found its way to Jo. The Brazilian then laid it off to Gelson Fernandes, who put it away via a deflection from eight yards out.
Micky Adams threw on two substitutes as the hosts tried to draw level, but Ched Evans, now on for Sturridge, forced another good save from Kuiper as City tried to kill the game off. Fernandes tried his luck with a cheeky backheel on 82 minutes, but once again the home keeper was equal to the task, parrying it away to safety.
With six minutes left it was Schmeichel’s turn to impress, bravely diving at Murray’s feet and collecting the rebound after Brighton had broken through the middle of City’s defence. City went straight down to the other end, with Vincent Kompany’s rasping drive from 30 yards skimming the bar.
But just as we thought the game was safe, the home side drew level in the last minute of normal time. Thomson burst into the box, Schmeichel half-stopped it but following up Glenn Murray bundled it in from close range to the stunned delight of home support.
So we entered extra time, and five minutes in the home side took the lead. Cox crossed from left to Joe Ayinsah, and the winger, on loan from Preston, dragged it back before burying it into the net.
The new local hero had a chance to make it three on 100 when he bore down on goal again, but a superb challenge from Dunne saved the day. Stoppage time at the end of the first period saw Ayinsah pose problems but this time Ben-Haim cleared.
City had been on the back foot in that first extra time period, but four minutes in they were level as the match took another dramatic twist. The home defence dithered over a Schmeichel clearance, the ball dropped nicely to Stephen Ireland and he rolled it past in past Kuiper.
City were now looking to finish it before the lottery of penalties, and they had the chance at a couple of corners late on but first Dunne and then Evans could not find the target.
So penalties it was for the second time this season, with the sequence going as follows:
1-0 Livermore, Schmeichel guessed right but could not stop the shot to his left.
1-1 Evans, sent Kuiper the wrong way with a cool effort.
2-1 Elphick, to the right of Schmeichel
2-2 Elano, rasping spot kick that sent keeper the wrong way.
3-2 Murray, keeper sent the wrong way again
3-3 Kompany, another great penalty with Kuiper going in the opposite direction
4-3 Virgo, buries it low into the corner.
4-3 Ball, saved! Kuiper drops to his right to make the save.
5-3 Richards is the hero, Schmeichel went to his left but the ball went right to give Brighton & Hove Albion a famous victory.
