Match report
That was fairly sterile for nearly 70 minutes but the last 20 were rattling good fun. Brighton deserved it, in the end, despite Sako’s best efforts. Palace aren’t at all happy about the winner, but remember we had the VAR comfort blanket if needed and Andre Marriner opted not to use it. The replays here suggested that everyone got that spot on – no handball, a sneaked winner from Murray and derby honours for Brighton. Hope you enjoyed that – thanks for your company, see you again soon!
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Full-time: Brighton 2-1 Palace
Brighton travel to Boro!
90+3 min: They do have something left ... but can’t quite make it count! Cabaye frees Kaikai beautifully and he gets to the line, drawing Krul – but nobody can get on the end of his cross-shot. It falls to Sako beyond the far post, but he belts it back across goal too! That was the chance.
90+2 min: It doesn’t look like they have anything left. Credit to Brighton here – Palace looked full of beans straight after Sako’s equaliser but they’ve come back really well and made a couple of fine chances before the goal.
90+1 min: Palace have three minutes to sort this out.
89 min: Palace wanted a handball there ... it was close and Murray’s arm was right down by his knee, but there’s no real indication that he touched it illegally. The VAR will have had a look at that over in Uxbridge – but the goal was deemed good by all parties.
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Goal! Brighton 2-1 Palace (Murray 87)
That’s why he was brought on! Brighton win a free-kick halfway inside the Palace half and a completely unchallenged Hunemeier is allowed to boom a header across goal. It sneaks towards the far post, Murray dashes in and it takes the *faintest* of touches off his knee ... just enough to divert it into the net and probably win Brighton the tie!
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86 min: Kayal does well again, doggedly winning a corner by the right-hand flag. It’ll be swung in by March ... into the paws of Hennessey.
84 min: The last 13 minutes have been very fun indeed. What’s left?
82 min: Ohhhh, Baldock should put Brighton 2-1 up. Kayal plays an absolutely inch-perfect, wonderfully-weighted, slide-rule pass – I’ve seen few better recently – and sends him away behind the Palace defence. He scampers towards Krul and the headlines are there ... but he lofts it over the top with his left foot!
81 min: Now Chris Hughton removes the gloves – bringing No1 striker Glenn Murray on for Hemed.
80 min: Down the other end again and a Palace corner! Breathless stuff at the moment! But a damp squib of a set piece, well defended despite a decent ball in from Cabaye.
79 min: Izquierdo, quieter of late, has a speculative strike blocked on the edge of the area. The ball is retrieved by Schelotto, his cross is only half-cleared and Propper neatly finds Hemed, who turns and laces a decent effort straight at Hennessey.
76 min: Palace have the next chance, McArthur surging into the area and laying on a chance for Van Aanholt, who has to spin a bit awkwardly and sees Krul, out quickly, block his close-range shot.
76 min: This game has come alive! Can someone find a winner?
74 min: Now Baldock hits the post ... and then Kayal misses a sitter! It’s all happening. First March tees up the substitute, who curls first-time against Hennessey’s upright from 15 yards; then Brighton come again and Kayal, 10 yards out, has time to take a touch and pick his spot – albeit with a couple of Palace players between him and the goal. He takes aim, but skies his shot! Had to do better!
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73 min: And Sako almost scores again! Goldson misses his tackle and Sako has open grass to run the ball into the area on his favoured left foot ... but this time he smashes it into the side netting!
72 min: Palace’s performance has not been worthy of that strike and nor has the game, really, but who cares? Do we have a cracking last 20 on our hands now?
Goal! Brighton 1-1 Palace (Sako 69)
From absolutely nothing! Sako has been Palace’s only threat and he scores an absolute belter! Schelotto clears towards halfway but Delaney returns the ball and Sako takes a lovely touch past Propper – I think, who was beaten too easily – before rifling a bouncing 25-yard drive low into Krul’s far corner! He really cracked that!
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This thread is useful with regard to the low crowd, by the way:
For those watching at home tonight on BT Sport, this thread contains in no particular order the main reasons why there are 10k empty seats (including the away end) at #BHACRY #bhafc #cpfc #FACup
— We Are Brighton (@wearebrighton) January 8, 2018
67 min: It’s ... yes ... another Brighton corner won by the impressive Schelotto. For once it brings some danger, bouncing around before Hemed jabs in a sharp effort that’s deflected just wide. The reward is a flag kick on the other flank, headed over by Hunemeier.
64 min: There are plenty of corners in this game. Five apiece and here’s another, won by Bong with a cross that is cut out before Baldock can attack it. It’s punched away well by Hennessey, and then Schelotto wins Brighton’s sixth on the other side. It’s worked short and delivered with some whip by March, Sako craning his neck to head away for another. Hennessey puts an end to all the fun by catching that one.
61 min: Now Brighton replace the goalscorer Stephens with the Dutch international Davy Propper. I met Propper a few months back.
60 min: Fosu-Mensah seems OK, although last time I said that things didn’t end so well.
59 min: But Brighton do wake up again now and it’s Baldock making ground to win the game’s latest corner. The game’s latest cleared corner, too, although not convincingly. Fosu-Mensah takes a knock to the head in the process and will be checked out by the medics.
57 min: Palace have, actually, stepped things up in the last few minutes and another ball from the left is repelled slightly desperately. Brighton, for the first time, have just begun to sit off a bit.
55 min: This time Sako does better and wins a corner. He’s done quite well with negligible support even if his decisions haven’t always been spot on. The corner is defended well; it takes Palace some time to clear properly but then Cabaye slides the ball out of play.
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53 min: To underline the point, Sako works some reasonable space on the left but whips his cross into the side netting.
52 min: Early impressions are that not a lot about this match has changed. Brighton are still knocking it around adroitly; Palace appear to view the ball as a hot potato.
50 min: I don’t know that I told you, by the way, that Neil Swarbrick is the man overseeing the VAR – about 65 miles away in Uxbridge.
49 min: Izquierdo really does have Palace on toast and is fouled by McArthur after another slaloming run, albeit in a fairly non-threatening area.
Crystal Palace’s James McArthur. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA
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46 min: March has an early half-chance 12 yards out, but he’s leaning back and spoons it well over.
Peeeeeep! We're back underway
It was nice to have a goal but let’s have a better half now.
A change for Palace, which doesn’t overly surprise me. It’s Sullay Kaikai replacing the invisible Andros Townsend.
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Looking at the goal once more, Hennessey definitely didn’t do much to persuade Palace they don’t need a new goalkeeper there. His long-term future looks iffy; their search for another No1 is well documented.
“It’s better they get used to using the VAR “live” a few times when it seems of less need than dust off the cobwebs on something really critical,” believes Jem McDowall.
“As far as this VAR business I really think they don’t know what they’re doing,” BLASTS JR in Illinois. “They totally banjaxed the introduction of video review in baseball as well. American Football is an unwatchable, farcical shambles partly because of the inconsistent way they handle video review and the way they make up the rules as they go along.
“Aside from the manner in which it will be implemented I have a question I want to ask you. In fact, I dare you to give an answer (that makes sense) to the following: Why did they choose the final game of the 3rd round to start VAR and not use it for all the games in the 3rd round? Well, at least Marriner should be feeling relieved. He’s got form in the mistaken identity department.”
Yes, he has. Maybe they did this for him.
“I wonder does the VAR communication problem have to do with volume? If so, the solution might be to crank it up to ‘Louder than VAR’?” asks Peter Oh. Rhetorically, I hope.
Half-time: Brighton 1-0 Palace
Early injuries to Brown and Schlupp made for a slow start but Brighton have been the better side, scored a good goal through Dale Stephens, and deserve the lead. A couple of Sako flickers aside, Palace haven’t offered a lot. We haven’t seen the VAR, which is a bit of a relief. That’s about it: Palace need to tighten up down the flanks but also find a way to threaten more. It won’t be easy.
45 min: They win another flag kick though, Sako again making good on the right flank. Cabaye delivers, Hunemeier heads away with ease. I think he scuffed it.
43 min: Van Aanholt gets a sniff of an interception in a dangerous area but catches Schelotto. Palace need to get better if they’re to take anything from this.
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@NickAmes82 Fosu-Mensah being tormented at right-back. Wouldn't be surprised to see him hoicked at half-time. Tonight, Timothy, the bell Bongs for thee.
— Charles (@Nwanukanyi) January 8, 2018
Nobody is remembering to protect him, in fairness.
40 min: At the other end, March gets a toe on Schelotto’s low cross but Hennessey is down to gather.
40 min: Delaney is up to meet it but mistimes the jump and it comes off his shoulder. Could have been a chance. Fosu-Mensah offers a subsequent ball from deep back into Brighton territory but it floats above McArthur and harmlessly out of play.
39 min: Hodgson has done a brilliant job with Palace but I’d still say there’s a Zaha Palace and a Non-Zaha Palace. They could do with bridging that gap. As I type, though, Sako does well again and this time gets to the left byline, slotting a tempting ball across goal that is turned behind. The flag kick is smuggled away ahead of Riedewald, but not they win another ...
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35 min: Now Izquierdo absolutely mugs Kelly and then thrashes him for pace, but wastes it all by drilling the ball straight at team-mate Hemed and out from the byline.
34 min: March now gets more room on the other flank but, not for the first time, overcomplicates after jinking inside. Brighton are still firmly in control of this though. They look smoother, hungrier and sharper.
32 min: Brighton are getting a lot of space down the left, Fosu-Mensah often left 2 vs 1, and Bong gets beyond him once again only for Hemed to nod his latest delivery well over.
31 min: Now Palace “enjoy” a spell of unthreatening possession that never really looks very controlled. They’ve been disappointing so far.
VAR will check if it crossed the line
— Max Rushden (@maxrushden) January 8, 2018
Indeed.
29 min: Think Hennessey might look at himself for that goal too. It was well struck and from reasonably close range, but it was at his near post and basically went through him.
27 min: The VAR was checked after that goal, just to make sure nothing was afoot. I think this will become a thing after every goal. I don’t really like it.
Goal! Brighton 1-0 Palace (Stephens 25)
They deserve it. Baldock does well down the right, lays off to Schelotto, and the right-back in turn slips Stephens in with a sharp pass infield. Stephens surges down the inside right channel, into the box and, from an angle, drills the ball under Hennessey!
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24 min: March runs along the edge of the box, looks for the shot, can’t find the space and in the end feeds the overlapping Bong – who has a lot to do but wins another corner. So March runs over there to take it; Souare clears it authoritatively.
22 min: Meanwhile the fans exchange hilarious banter about their respective stadia. Brighton’s is apparently too big for them; Palace’s is, we are informed, a hole filled with excrement.
21 min: Goldson finds Hemed, who tries to work his way into the box but runs into the old head Delaney. Brighton are much the more purposeful here, still, and have had at least 70% of the possession.
18 min: Corner to Brighton after some wing wizardry from Izquierdo. The cavalry are up ... and Hemed rises to flash a header at Hennessey. That was a good contact, but also right down the keeper’s throat.
16 min: Lovely play between Izquierdo and Hemed on the edge of the box but they just overdo it in the end and Kelly gets in the way. The rhythm is picking up here now.
15 min: Sako does superbly down the right, waltzes to the byline but then opts to try and beat Krul from a silly angle when two players are queuing up to score if he puts it back. Krul blocks with his feet; the ball stays alive and a McArthur shot deflects for a corner. That’s cleared, but much better there from Palace.
13 min: Schlupp is still struggling and, yep, he’s coming off too. Pape Souare is coming on. Unfortunate start for both sides here and hopefully the injuries aren’t serious. It came about as Brown tried to shoot and clashed with Schlupp at point-blank range.
11 min: Sako leads a Palace counter after a nifty interception and is cynically fouled by, I think, Kayal. That could easily have been a booking. The chance disappears.
9 min: Good chance for March there at the back post, Bong getting space to cross from the left and March, on the other side, leaping to head into the ground and over via Hennessey’s fingertip. He should maybe have done better. The corner comes to little but Brighton still have territory deep inside the Palace half.
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8 min: The game hasn’t really got going yet, in part because of those early stoppages, and Palace have certainly done nothing meaningful.
6 min: Ah, Brown is not ok. He’s gone down again off the ball and the poor lad, who turned 21 yesterday and has had other injury problems this season, is being helped from the pitch. That’ll be his race run, and Sam Baldock – who has missed the season so far with an injury of his own – is about to replace him.
3 min: They’ll both be ok for now, as far as I can tell. Brighton get the play back underway and knock the ball about in their own half.
2 min: Brighton make a quick start and force Palace into a couple of crunching blocks on the edge of their own area, the second of which sees Brown and Schlupp collide with a right old thwack, both requiring some treatment. Their fates are unclear.
Peeeeep! We're off!
Palace, all in black, go right to left but it’s Brighton who kick off. And yes, the crowd is sparse.
So we’re soon to get underway at Brighton – the teams are emerging! It doesn’t look like anything approaching a full house there, disappointingly for a derby – something to do with train strikes, or the cup, or too much football, or all three?
So, briefly, my view on VAR is that it’s clearly going to happen but has been introduced too soon. Not because the technology isn’t up to it, but mainly because the lines of communication regarding what’s been decided, or reviewed, by who and when are substandard. There’ve been quite a few misunderstandings elsewhere and I sat in one or two very confused stadiums at the Confederations Cup last summer. Personally I wouldn’t have it at all, but if it’s coming then let’s make sure the kinks are ironed out – which is why I’d be cautious about using it at the World Cup.
Here’s Andre Marriner taking a look at the VAR
Worth noting that Brighton have some big absentees too – no Knockaert out there, and no Dunk/Duffy defensive axis, although the former is on the bench. Can a reborn Bakary Sako take advantage for Palace?
Back now. And what we now know is that the winner of tonight’s set-to gets a visit to Middlesbrough.
I’ll be back soon – I’m also running you through the fourth round draw, which you can feast your eyes on here:
Team news
Brighton: Krul, Schelotto, Hunemeier, Goldson, Bong, March, Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo, Brown, Hemed. Subs: Dunk, Skalak, Baldock, Maenpaa, Murray, Rosenior, Propper.
Crystal Palace: Hennessey, Fosu-Mensah, Kelly, Delaney, Van Aanholt, McArthur, Cabaye, Riedewald, Schlupp, Townsend, Sako. Subs: Speroni, Milivojevic, Tomkins, Lee, Souare, KaiKai, Wan Bissaka.
Referee: Andre Marriner
A few changes, then, and you’ll note that neither Zaha nor Benteke are around for Palace. But still two strong sides.
Hello
Another FA Cup derby day! A third round round weekend that has boasted a fair mixture of the terrific and the tedious closes with what should be a belter – an edition of the rivalry that people don’t expect to be a rivalry. But make no mistake about it, Brighton v Palace is going to be hotly contested on the pitch and, no doubt, by the choirs in the stands with a bumper away following likely to make for a hot atmosphere.
This said, their league meeting in November finished goalless and we could do with a bit less of that. I could, anyway, as the two cup games I watched at the weekend were Norwich-Chelsea and Shrewsbury-West Ham. I can barely remember a thing about either of them. The last time these two faced off in this competition was 1976-77, when both sides were in the old Division Three and Palace won after two replays. Haven’t times changed – exhibit A.
Haven’t times changed – exhibit B: tonight we see the debut of VAR in competitive English football! What could possibly go wrong? I have a view on this but let’s chat on that a little later, after the fourth round draw. That takes place at about 7.10pm and we’ll have a separate blog for that. Then we’ll know exactly what tonight’s winners have in store ...
Keep your emails and tweets coming in – and let’s enjoy an old fashioned yet decidedly modern cup tie.
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Nick will be here soon.
