Anyroad up, here’s David Hytner’s match report; thanks for your company and comments, enjoy what’s left of the weekend. Peace.
Back to the draw, the all-Manchester final remains a possibility – and it’s worth noting that it comes in between the Europa and Champions League events, either or both of which might feature a Manchester team. United have actually done pretty well to avoid losing a final to City during their period of awfulness, and for the neutral, there’d be something not unamusing in them ending their best season in a generation with catastrophe.
Seriously, what is wrong with people?
Manchester City will feel they’ve done well there – the semi comes after the second leg of their Bayern quarter, and a derby or a game against Brighton or Fulham will have presented a very different challenge to the one they’ve got.
The other match, meanwhile, could feature a repeat of the 1983 final, and whoever makes it through is guaranteed a very serious game.
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FA Cup semi-final draw
Brighton v Manchester United
Manchester City v Sheffield United
Ties to be played at Wembley on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 April
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Righto, draw time! Man City, Sheffield United and Brighton are through; Man United and Fulham complete the participants.
Easy for Arsenal at the Emirates…
And the Saudi GP will soon be away too…
Man United v Fulham kicks-off at half-past the hour; follow along here:
“I always hear this tune when I see Heung-min Son play,” emails Peter Oh, “especially when he’s just benefited from a lucky deflection or escaped a booking.”
“Further to your 87th min comment,” says Dean Kinsella, “Ferguson is the striker Ireland have been yearning for since Robbie Keane’s retirement!”
I agree. A proper player in that position does so much for the rest of the team – without a goalscorer, a team of Ireland’s calibre can only really win games against half-decent opposition via sufferball. With one, things are very, very different.
Coming up next: the draw for the semi-finals, but in the meantime, the Grimsby fans wave their Haddocks.
“Good result,” reckons Ferguson with classic understatement. He says his lovely first goal was instinct, and praises his teammates for helping him. The players are hoping to get into Europe, and they’ve a really good chance of making that happen.
Full-time: Brighton 5-0 Grimsby
So Brighton power-cruise into the last four, and look a very serious outfit indeed. But for a second let’s focus on Grimsby, who’ve done a tremendous job in getting to this stage, elevating the finest cup competition in the world – and how many of us can say that?
90+2 min And Mitoma almost makes it six! Gross curls in a gorgeous ball from the right and Mitoma, coming in off the left, controls on the move with characteristic technique, bursting into the box before opening body to pass just wide of the far post.
90 min Two added minutes.
GOAL! Brighton 5-0 Grimsby (Mitoma 90)
Ach, that’s cruel. Waterfall tries to dribble out, he’s caught by someone – Ayare I think – and when the ball’s worked back to Mitoma, he shoots low … and against poor old Waterfall, whose deflection takes the ball past Crocombe at the near post.
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89 min Nice from Mitoma who flummoxes Efete on the outside then backheels for Ayare, whose shot is blocked behind; from the corner, Webster has a shot that’s saved.
87 min Leon Osman gives Ferguson his player of the match award, which makes sense. What i like about him is how well-rounded he is, and his ability to see in simplicity when around him everything’s rushing. He might just be that goalscorer we’ve spent the last few seasons saying Brighton need to complete them.
86 min Nearly a moment for Grimsby! Glennon tosses into the box, Taylor knocks down and steps away as McAtee strides onto it … but Sanchez palms away his attempted far-post curler.
85 min March is 28 now, so this might not be a run of form but the player he now is; the player De Zerbi has made him. I can’t wait to see how he and Brighton do next term.
GOAL! Brighton 4-0 Grimsby (March 83)
Solly March Solly March Solly March Solly March! More Brighton possession, before Webster flips a bvall over the top and into the box, whereupon March applies a conclusive and very fine diving header! That’s eight goals in his last 14 games!
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82 min “If it’s a Brighton-Manchester United 40-year reunion in the Cup final and there’s an ‘and Ferguson must score’ situation, you suspect he will.”
Yup, he looks the absolute biz.
81 min Here come Brighton again, building down the right before March lofts infield towards the near post, where Welbeck drills low and Crocombe parries behind. The corner comes to nowt.
79 min Almost a brilliant start for Ayare, who’s already a full Swedish international. Caicedo flips a ball into the middle from not far outside the box and he rolls with it, looking to apply an overhead kick finish and missing contact by very little.
77 min Two more changes for Brighton, Ayare and Van Hecker replacing Mac Allister and Dunk. Ayare is a Swedish midfielder, signed from AIK, making his debut, and Van Hecker is a centre-back.
75 min Danny Welbeck has such a lovely touch – he’d be a better fit for the current Man United team than Wout Weghorst – and he gets his body around a loose ball, turning and making off with it at the same time. But just as he’s planning his clinical finish, Smith slides in to make a tremendous, likely goal-saving challenge.
75 min “That wasn’t a foul in the box,” says Andy Flintoff. “The lean was outside it, it’s just Mitoma decided to take three more steps then trip over his own feet (watch his right leg splay to engineer some contact).”
I’d need to see it again, but on the last view I thought the lean took him straight down. Either way, though, I think it was a foul.
73 min Do Brighton declare, or try to punish? You fear for Grimsby at this point.
71 min Ch ch ch changes: Grimsby withdraw Clifton and Khan for Morris and Taylor; Brighton try Sarmiento and Welbeck for Undav and Ferguson.
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GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Grimsby (Ferguson 70)
Again, Brighton play some nice one-touch stuff in midfield, Mac Allister leading the move. And then, when it breaks down, Undav is well-stationed to turn around the corner for Ferguson, who strides onto the ball, composes, and passes a curler inside the near post, this time with his left foot. He is good!
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70 min After this game finishes, I’ll bring you the draw for the last four, after which you can enjoy the final game of the round – which of course makes no sense other than financial sense.
68 min So Brighton take their corner, nodded back across by Dunk, and Webster extends a foot to send a shot into the post! Brighton should be well clear now and they’re not, but they’re very clearly clear enough.
66 min Mitoma skirts around the outside of Efete, who leans on him just enough to send him to ground, but on the blind side so no penalty is given on the pitch … and VAR says nothing doing. It was a foul, I think, though not serious enough for me to watch an 80% chance of goal to come from it.
66 min “This afternoon’s scoresheet at the Emirates is a variant on the old Boom Xhaka Saka Laca,” notes Simon Pitfield.
64 min The ref is, apparently, threatening to take the players off the pitch if the Grimsby fans continue hurling missiles of scrunched-paper.
62 min Caicedo is down clutching head and face after a few words with he’ll carry on through it all, he’s a Waterfall; we see the incident again, and it ain’t no thing, the latter levering the former to the ground and no more.
60 min Grimsby win a corner, but there’s a pause as the Grimsby fans are told to stop chucking scrunched up paper onto the pitch. It’s a veritable deluge! Sanchez claims the corner at the back post.
58 min But now here come Grimsby, Webster extending a leg after Hunt flicks on a goalkick and McAtee is in! But he can’t get purchase on his shot, Sanchez is out quickly, and smothers easily enough.
56 min Brighton break through again, March finding Mac Allister, who coaxes a through-pass into Undav’s path. He draws the keeper, squares, and Ferguson rolls home … but then, as they celebrate, the flag goes up. That took a long old time, for a decision that was pretty clear.
56 min Mitoma whizzes in off the last, across his man and into the box … then passes a curler just wide of the far corner.
55 min “As an Arsenal fan I don’t say this lightly,” emails Kári Tulinius, “but that goal by Ferguson was Bergkampesque. Both touches were perfection, and the way he slotted it into the corner insouciant.”
Yes, I see what you mean. And like Bargkamp, he’s got a bit of edge to him too.
53 min Arsenal now lead Palace 3-1, Xhaka and Schlupp with the goals since the last update.
GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Grimsby (Ferguson 51)
Evan Ferguson is a superstar! Colwill starts the move with a firm ball into midfield, then Mac Allister curls in towards Ferguson. But there’s not just work to do, there’s a whole bloody shift, and doesn’t Ferguson do it brilliantly, extending a leg to cushion the ball down before sweeping it into stride and away from the defender with another perfect touch, before calmly opening body to pass past Crocombe. Game over, and what a player Ferguson is going to become; what a player he already is.
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49 min March crosses yet again from the right, a deflection sends it looping towards the far corner … and agains the far post! But the ball bounces directly into the path of Undav … who absolutely splatters his shot over the bar!
48 min “Just catching up with game now,” says Nick Shaw. “With that peach/pink Grimsby kit, at first look I thought Estupinan was trying to slide-tackle a streaker.”
47 min “Here’s a contribution from Germany,” says Wolfgang Ludwig-Mayerhofer. “When Michael Ballack was playing for FC Bayern, I was always wondering why they did not chant ‘Baby Baby Ballack-Ballack’. (Baby Baby Balla-Balla was a huge hit here in Germany, covered by a German band. I actually thought that hopefully no-one outside Germany would know this kind of nonsense, but I just found out that it was originally written and sung by Chubby Checker.”
46 min We go again…
Two changes for Grimsby: Hunt and McAtee for Green and Orsi; Brighton send Colwill on for Estupinan.
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Adam Lallana tells BBC that De Zerbi wasn’t impressed with the tempo of Brighton’s first-half performance, but also notes that he’s “never happy”. I fear for Grimsby after the break.
Half-time: Brighton 1-0 Grimsby
Grimsby are still in it, but Brighton can step this up if they need to, so it’s hard to see anything beyond a home win. See you in 12 minutes.
45+1 min Mitoma wriggles free at inside-left and shakes off his marker; he should shoot, but instead squares for March, whose shot is smothered at source, and then Grimsby counter for the half-second it takes for Brighton to get back at them.
45 min We’ll have one minute of added time.
43 min “Thematically, Naby Keita fits more with the Sickbed of Cuchulainn,” returns Niall Mullen.
He’s a strange deal, him – I know that, as you say, he’s struggled with injury, but even when fit he’s looked nothing like the player he was meant to be.
42 min Here come Brighton again, Mac Allister turning another pass down the left for Mitoma, who cuts back … only for Gross to thrash wide. Grimsby can’t get anything going, but they’re still in the game.
40 min “A whole couplet of mine very own, of almost 50 years standing,'” emails Richard Hirst. “‘I’d like to teach the world to sing Fulham AFC. With Jimmy Dunne and SuperMitch and Alan Mullery.’ What a career I could (not) have had.”
Almost u[ there with “But when we meet again, introduced as friends, please don’t let on that you knew me when I was hungry and it was your world.”
38 min Brighton are looking likely again, Caicedo winning possession high, accepting a return -pass from March, and skating across the face of the box before pulling a shot just wide of the near post.
37 min Brighton win a corner from the left, swerved towards the far corner by Gross; Crocombe tips it behind for another, from the other side. March goes short with this one, and after decent trickery from Gross, Mitoma shoots wide.
35 min “Naby Keita to the Pogues’ Navigator is a perfect fit!” tweets Andrew Gilbert.
33 min Now here come Brighton again, Undav, who’s played fairly well, sliding Gross down the right. His cross is a goodun too, and Mitoma’s sliding in at the far post! But – and this is pet hate of mine – rather than go with the foot that’s farthest from the ball, allowing himself a split-second long to get to it and more control when he does, he extends the nearer one and sends a shot wide. that should’ve been 2-0.
32 min Sanchez comes to the edge to snaffle a long ball and Grimsby want a penalty, but a VAR check shows he, ands the ball, were on the line.
31 min “Dissing the Kaiser Chiefs?” wonders Joe Pearson. “I predict a riot!”
The most sedate, one-paced riot ever.
30 min “Divock Origi he’s my baby…” announces Niall Mullen.
29 min Arsenal now lead Palace 2-0, Bukayo Saka with the second goal.
27 min Given loads of time on the ball, Webster snaps a ball in behind to meet the run of Ferguson – who pointed where he wanted the ball, received it … and botched his first touch thereby ruining his shot. Still, though, that was good play.
27 min I guess there’s Rooney Rooney Rooney Rooney, if we’re admitting the existence of the Kaiser Chiefs.
25 min Brighton have stepped it up again, March mooching down the right and coming inside to curve a left-footed cross towards the near post. And Undav is right there, but can only direct his glance straight at Crocombe. A yard either side, though, and that was in – there was pace on that ball.
23 min The corner comes to nowt, Grimsby enjoy the 0.00063s for which they think they’ve a counter, then Estupinan slides in to make a challenge which stops it before it’s really got started.
21 min Brighton are struggling to get overloads out wide, so haven’t actually caused Grimsby too many problems aside from the goal. They’re happy in possession though, circulating possession until an opportunity arises … and here they come, Estupinan and Caicedo combining to find Mac Allister, who releases Mitoma … and his his cross flashes through the corridor before it’s stuck behind for a corner.
20 min A quiet period. In the words of Ryan Giggs, Grimsby would’ve took that.
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18 min “Not a footballer,” tweets Pressure Drop Radio, “but La Isla Bonita by Madonna could have been written for Stanislas Warwinka...”
Ha! If we’re moving beyond football, Alborosie’s Kingston Town begins by referencing Sibley Dom Dom, the Surrey and England opener.
17 min But no, Grimsby move down the right, Efete finding Clifton who wins a thrown close to the corner flag. Contextually, this is a chance, but Maher’s long hurl is headed clear by Dunk and the whistle then goes for a foul of of some sort.
15 min Grimsby are struggling to get out, and a second Brighton goal looks inevitable. As I type that, Estupinan slips and gives the ball away, but Crocombe will now kick long, so presumably it’ll come straight back.
14 min Oh, Gabriel Martinelli has put Arsenal in front. They needed that after their midweek disappointment.
12 min Elsewhere, it’s Arsenal 0-0 Crystal Palace. Palace, remember, have no manager after Patrick Vieira was mercy-sacked to save him the shame of an Emirates kicking.
10 min Does anyone have players whose names they use in popular music songs because they fit or sound like the lyrics? I can’t help but sing Solly March Solly March Solly March Solly March to this bit of this stone-cold, steaming hot, complete and utter Nicky Banger.
8 min Grimsby will be concerned. Brighton are playing as they usually do, which is to say nothing’s being done to stop them, which is to say this could get messy.
GOAL! Brighton 1-0 Grimsby (Undav 7)
March and Gross probe down the right, the latter moving into the middle for Mac Allister, who tees up Caicedo. The shot is low, hard and swift, but too close to Crocombe, who parries to safety … only for Undav to follow up up and put in. He’s been disappointing in his time at the club so far, so really needed that.
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6 min Good from March, who teases Glennon, crosses, through a small gap … and though Grimsby clear, he soon gets the ball back to go again…
5 min Grimsby counter and Green finds Efete down the right, but Dunk intercepts the cross and clears.
4 min Brighton do their usual thing, knocking the ball along the back three with which they build, looking to draw Grimsby onto them then pass into midfield. Grimsby, though, are refusing to engage high, so Dunk is able to bring the ball away. He tries to find Mitoma, but Efete is there to intervene.
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3 min BBC have Jonathan Pearce commentating. That’s Jonathan Pearce of Sopranos fame.
Words they never thought they'd type: here's Jonathan Pearce in the Sopranos. It's good to be back! pic.twitter.com/GoDEzjrdWW
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) December 17, 2021
2 min Brighton create straight away, Estupinan punching a typical ball into Mac Allister, who turns really well and feeds in Ferguson, but his second touch takes him a little wide and he can’t get the power to find the far corner before Crocombe dives to save.
1 min Away we go!
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And now here come our teams!
I mentioned that Doyle winner – well, here it is.
Roberto De Zerbi is a cool cat – he’s not thinking about getting to Wembley, just the result today (yeah alright mate). He looks like he’s come straight from the klurrb too, none of that syoot and coat nonsense.
Sheffield United have indeed beaten Blackburn 3-2 – winning it with a bazzer – and are into the last four of the Cup!
I should also say, the winner was scored by Tommy Doyle, grandson of Mike – and Glyn. I wonder who he wants next.
Bit of Grimsby action. Harry Clifton looks a decent talent.
BBC interview Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit, chair and vice-chair of Grimsby. Both seem sound – they’re fans – and pay for their own tickets.
I’ve watched this a fair few times – imagine coming back to work after some time off, to this. Yes, Mr T.H.E. Man, if you’re reading that is a hint
Welcoming back our World Cup winner! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Bb2MoZmf2B
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) January 2, 2023
I did not know that Paul Futcher, Grimsby legend and twin of Ron, was Danny Murphy’s uncle.
BBC open their broadcast with the Lighthouse Family. So…
Absolute scenes at Bramall Lane!
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Ferguson does, not just today but over the next bit. He looks remarkably complete for a centre-forward his age – I just hope Brighton can hang onto him beyond the summer.
Google reckon Brighton will have Gross at right-back, Mac Allister in front alongside Caicedo, and then March in his usual spot off the right, with Undav in behind Ferguson. All shall soon be revealed.
Something to read, obviously not about MEMEMEMEMEME … but I’ve been lucky enough to conduct a fair few interviews, and there’ve not been many during which I’ve had tears in my eyes throughout. But seeing how much this meant to Christopher and Max was so moving, and I hope other clubs see what can be done and do it.
Google reckon Grimsby will have three at the back and four in midfeld, but the way they announce their team on Twitter, it looks like the wing-backs are playing in defence. Most likely, though, the whistle goes and people run about.
As for Grimsby, they won 1-0 at Sutton in midweek and will, I think, go with a rarely seen 5-2-1-2 formation – yes, I know. Paul Hurst leaves out Amos, Morris, Lloyd and Taylor, bringing in Glennnon, Holohan, Khan and Orsi.
Elsewhere, by the way, Blackburn now lead Sheffield United for a second time. Follow that with John Brewin, here:
I’m guessing, but I think Roberto De Zerbi is going with Solly March at right-back,. But he might be shoving the so-far-disappointing Undav there – we shall see. Otherwise, though, there are four changes from the midweek, er, derby win that got Patrick Vieira sacked: Sanchez, dropped for a while, comes back with Steele dropping out, Veltman in unavailable so Undav comes in, Webster replaces Colwill at centre-back and Ferguson is preferred to Welbeck.
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Teams!
Brighton: Sánchez; March, Webster, Dunk, Estupiñán; Gross, Caicdedo; Undav, Mc Allister, Mitoma; Ferguson. Subs: Steele, Colwill, Welbeck Sarmiento, Enciso, Ayari, Van Hecke, Veltman, Buonanotte.
Grimsby: Crocombe, Efete, Waterfall, Smith, Maher, Glennon, Green, Holohan, Clifton, Khan, Orsi. Subs: Battersby, Pearson, Emmanuel, McAtee, Hunt, Morris, Amos, Taylor, Khouri.
Preamble
On the 20th February 1983, Brighton visited Liverpool in the FA Cup. The hosts had gone 63 home Cup games without defeat, a run that went back to November 1974, so few at Anfield expected anything other than a 64th in the ground’s first ever Sunday game, Everton having been drawn at Goodison and played on the Saturday. Appetites must, though, have been whetted by the prospect of Graeme Souness and Jimmy Case reconvening for some real football men action.
In the event, though, Brighton won 2-1. Gerry Ryan put them in front, and though Craig Johnston then equalised, Case rammed home a terrific winner a minute later – after which Phil Neil missed a penalty – before the Seagulls binned Norwich and Wednesday to make the final.
Since then, they’ve made the last four once and the last eight twice, but they’re now a better team than they’ve ever been – they deservedly beat Liverpool in round four – and will seriously fancy their chances of going all the way this time. It’s true that, as in 1983, the possibility of losing the final to Man United exists, but should those teams meet again, Brighton won’t go into the match off the back of an unsuccessful fight against relegation. They will, though, know that they’re getting a bit good for the richer clubs’ liking, which is to say that hanging onto their best players this summer will a struggle, and though they’ve a terrific manager and set-up so are well-placed to go again, will still know that this is a chance and therefore the pressure is on.
Grimsby, meanwhile, are 14th in League 2. But in the course of their frankly rrrrridiculous Cup run, they’ve become the first team ever to beat five clubs from higher divisions in consecutive matches, and the feelgood factor extends beyond the football. Frequently derided by people with no grasp of politics, community and simple decency, the town of Grimsby is now “in a good moment”, a centre of green energy renewing itself in parallel, while Grimsby Town are doing likewise, one good performance away from the semi-finals of the FA Cup having spent 2010-2016 outside the Football League. Here we go, here we go, here we go!
Kick-off: 2.15pm GMT
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