The FA Cup - Fifth Round
BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion2DerbyDerby County1

Brighton 2-1 Derby: Seagulls reach FA Cup quarter-finals

By Matthew HenryBBC Sport

Brighton reached the FA Cup quarter-finals with victory over Derby, despite the Rams' Ashley Cole scoring his first competitive goal in English football for six and a half years.

The Seagulls, who are struggling in the Premier League, looked in total control after goals from Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia in the first half.

However, former Chelsea and Arsenal defender Cole headed in for Derby to reduce the deficit in the 81st minute - the left-back's first goal in England since September 2012.

The Championship side, who had twice come from 2-0 down to reach this stage, pushed for an equaliser but the hosts held on to reach the last eight for the second season in a row.

It is the fourth time the Seagulls have progressed this far in the competition and they will now bid to reach the semi-finals for the first time since they lost the 1983 final.

Frantic finish after rare Cole goal

Cole, a seven-time FA Cup winner, joined Derby in January to play under his former Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard, having left Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy in October.

The 38-year-old, who had a two-year spell at Roma after leaving Stamford Bridge in 2014, was introduced as a half-time substitute, along with striker Jack Marriott, after a poor first half from the visitors.

Derby still rarely threatened until Cole's goal, which came as a result of poor Brighton defending.

Dan Burn hooked a weak clearance to Cole on the left side of the box as the hosts failed to deal with a long ball over the top, allowing the ex-England full-back headed into an unguarded net.

It was his first FA Cup goal in his 49th appearance in the competition.

The strike resulted in a frantic finish as Derby pushed for an equaliser that would have forced extra time, with Harry Wilson shooting wide after poor goalkeeping from David Button, Fikayo Tomori missing the target with an optimistic bicycle kick and Rams goalkeeper Kelle Roos going up for a set-piece in the final minute.

Despite the late panic, Brighton held on to win a game they had controlled for the majority.

Brighton distracted from league worries

The Seagulls deservedly took the lead in the 33rd minute when Knockaert swept in Yves Bissouma's cross from 16 yards.

Their second goal came in first-half stoppage time - Locadia tapping in the rebound after Bissouma had hit the post with a shot from the edge of the box.

The hosts could have further increased their lead after the break, but Knockaert and full-back Bernardo had efforts saved well by Roos.

Brighton's dominant performance - for 80 minutes at least - came despite their poor Premier League form and manager Chris Hughton having to name a depleted starting line-up.

They have won just one of their past 11 league games and slipped to within three points of the relegation zone, while their only victories in 2019 have come in this cup run.

Hughton made eight changes, with top scorer Glenn Murray and key defender Lewis Dunk both out with knocks and midfielder Davy Propper ill.

An FA Cup quarter-final will give a welcome distraction to any league struggles but there were worrying scenes when Locadia limped off with an apparent ankle injury after going down off the ball in the second half.

Man of the match - Anthony Knockaert (Brighton)

Anthony Knockaert celebrates scoring for Brighton against Derby
Knockaert has only started 12 of 26 league matches this season but has been selected for all four games in the FA Cup. He was Brighton's most effective player in attack against Derby - he had four shots on target, twice as many as any team-mate.

'You can always dream' - manager reaction

Brighton boss Chris Hughton to BT Sport: "We made hard work of it in the end. We were good in the first half and should have made more of those opportunities.

"I knew the squad is stronger than last season, we have got good competition for places. We have had a bad week with minor injuries, which made a bit weaker going into the game. I hope Locadia's injury is not too bad, it didn't look good.

"You can always dream. The reality is it is normally one of the top six that wins the competition; for the likes of ourselves it is about going as far as we can. To get to quarter-finals is a big thing for the club.

"We are having a difficult time in the Premier League that has seen us drop a bit from a comfortable position. We need all the positivity from today."

Derby boss Frank Lampard to BT Sport: "The hardest thing is the first-half performance - to come to a Premier League team and not turn up - but the second half we gave ourselves a go.

"We gave the fans something to be excited about. The first half was not good enough. The second half was - but it was too late.

"If we show urgency, will and desire we can do a lot and beat Premier League teams. Now the clarity is there. We have got the league to focus on to try to get into the play-offs and promotion.

"If we play like the second half we have a real chance - play like the first half and we don't."

On Ashley Cole's goal: "I am pleased for him. He has been working hard for his fitness and we gave him 45 minutes. It was not the perfect circumstances but it turned out good for him. He looked calm and the class was evident, which is good for us."

Knockaert loves the cup - the best stats

  • Brighton reached the FA Cup quarter-final for the second straight season, having only made the last eight in two of their previous 102 campaigns in the competition.
  • Derby have won just one of their past 23 FA Cup games against teams from a higher division, beating West Brom in January 2017.
  • Brighton are unbeaten in six meetings with Derby (W3 D3), after losing the previous five.
  • All six of Derby's FA Cup goals this season have come in the second half of games, with the past four coming in the final 15 minutes.
  • Brighton's Anthony Knockaert has scored in three of his past six games against the Rams, including the past two.
  • All five of Jurgen Locadia's goals for Brighton have come at the Amex Stadium.
  • Derby's Ashley Cole, who has played in a record eight post-war FA Cup finals, made his first appearance in the competition for 1,847 days - he last played for Chelsea against Stoke in January 2014.
  • Cole's goal was his first in English football since September 2012 - for Chelsea against Stoke - and his first ever in the FA Cup.

Line-ups

Brighton

Formation 4-3-3

  • 27Button
  • 2BrunoBooked at 90mins
  • 4Duffy
  • 33Burn
  • 30Bernardo
  • 8BissoumaBooked at 76minsSubstituted forGroßat 86'minutes
  • 6Stephens
  • 7Kayal
  • 11Knockaert
  • 9LocadiaSubstituted forGyokeresat 81'minutes
  • 16Jahanbakhsh

Substitutes

  • 3Bong
  • 13Groß
  • 22Montoya
  • 31Sanchez
  • 42Gyokeres
  • 49Molumby
  • 57Ostigard

Derby

Formation 4-3-3

  • 21Roos
  • 37Bogle
  • 6Keogh
  • 5TomoriBooked at 20mins
  • 46MaloneBooked at 35minsSubstituted forColeat 45'minutes
  • 4Bryson
  • 44Huddlestone
  • 7WilsonBooked at 28mins
  • 9Waghorn
  • 28NugentSubstituted forJozefzoonat 73'minutes
  • 23HolmesSubstituted forMarriottat 45'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Wisdom
  • 11Jozefzoon
  • 14Marriott
  • 15Johnson
  • 17Evans
  • 26Cole
  • 47Ravas
Referee:
David Coote
Attendance:
24,562

Match Stats

Home TeamBrightonAway TeamDerby
Possession
Home47%
Away53%
Shots
Home18
Away11
Shots on Target
Home8
Away3
Corners
Home8
Away5
Fouls
Home13
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Derby County 1.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Derby County 1.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Fikayo Tomori (Derby County) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Martyn Waghorn.

  4. Booking

    Bruno (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card.

  5. Post update

    Jack Marriott (Derby County) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. Fikayo Tomori (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Florian Jozefzoon with a cross.

  8. Post update

    Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Bernardo.

  9. Post update

    Attempt missed. Harry Wilson (Derby County) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.

  10. Post update

    Attempt saved. Viktor Gyokeres (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal.

  11. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Harry Wilson (Derby County) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Pascal Groß replaces Yves Bissouma.

  13. Post update

    Corner, Derby County. Conceded by David Button.

  14. Post update

    Attempt saved. Richard Keogh (Derby County) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Harry Wilson with a cross.

  15. Post update

    Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Bruno.

  16. Post update

    Corner, Derby County. Conceded by Bernardo.

  17. Goal!

    Goal! Brighton and Hove Albion 2, Derby County 1. Ashley Cole (Derby County) header from the left side of the box to the high centre of the goal.

  18. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Viktor Gyokeres replaces Jürgen Locadia because of an injury.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Beram Kayal (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  20. Post update

    Tom Huddlestone (Derby County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

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