United 0 Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Match Sponsor: JONES BUILDING CONTRACTORS
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Programme Sponsor: BYGONES
Man of the Match: Mark Ellis
United went out of this season's F.A. Cup to the only goal of the game against Brighton at Plainmoor. The pitch had to undergo a 1.30pm pitch inspection as small sections were still slightly frozen but both managers were keen to get the tie underway. The officials declared the game on but kept a watchful eye on the pitch throughout the game.
There were three enforced changes for United with Mark Ellis & Chris Hargreaves replacing the suspended duo of Chris Robertson & Nicky Wroe and Elliot Benyon coming in for the cup-tied Chris Zebroski.
United began the match defending the Babbacombe End and in a slight tactical switch to the norm with Wayne Carlisle starting on the left wing and Jake Thomson on the right.
The match started scrappily but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing for United as their visitors had little chance to settle. There were no chances in the opening ten minutes but the Gulls were looking as comfortable as their opponents and the first look at goal went to United as they broke from a Brighton attack and Elliot Benyon found a yard of space twenty yards out but his shot was too weak to trouble Kuipers in the Brighton goal.
United then had a sustained period of pressure and Charnock tested Kuipers with a header from a Thomson corner. Moments later and Charnock was at the other end producing a first-class thunderous tackle on Hoyte that won the ball and left the Brighton player in a heap behind him.
United skipper Chris Hargreaves was putting in a shift of a man who wanted his starting place back and Kieran Charnock was backing up recent solid performances with another strong effort and around the pitch United were winning most of the battles.
The Gulls were the better side but the final pass let them down on occasion and while having a spell of superiority they needed to produce something positive. Brighton looked dangerous without actually carving out a real opening to trouble Michael Poke.
Wayne Carlisle and Jake Thomson both shot wide from distance as United threatened to punish their visitors but as the half drew to a close the stalemate prevailed. For all of United's positive build-up they didn't force Kuipers to make too many saves and not scoring when they had the better of Brighton earlier in the half was going to come back and haunt them.
A minute from half-time Murray should have given Poke far more trouble than he did with a left foot shot from 12 yards after a slip by Charnock thirty yards out and as the half finished it was Brighton who looked sharper.
Half-Time: United 0 Brighton 0
No changes at the break and United had to some defending with Brighton having most of the ball from the re-start. From a free-kick 25 yards out Brighton worked the ball wide and from an attempted United clearance Virgo curled a shot narrowly over Poke's crossbar.
The pitch surface did seem to be hardening a touch and some players at times found it hard to stop in certain areas and as the hour mark came around the match was still in the balance.
At times the passing was too intricate on a surface that was getting harder but United were manfully trying to play their normal game. Virgo had another sight at United's goal in the 66th minute and fortunately for the Gulls he spooned the ball over the bar when he should have tested Michael Poke from six yards.
Fifteen minutes from the final whistle and Thomson & Carlisle swapped wings and Dickinson forced a smart save from Poke who did very well to dive low down to his left and keep the ball in.
Moments later and the deadlock was broken; Poke saved a Forster shot and from the resultant corner Brighton skipper Andrew Crofts got a head to the ball from twelve yards and beat both Poke and Lee Mansell stood on the goal line.
Goal: United 0 Brighton 1 (Crofts)
With ten minutes to go Bucks made a triple change with Tim Sills, Danny Stevens and Kevin Nicholson coming to replace Elliot Benyon, Jake Thomson and Adam Smith respectively. Poke was called into action again when Forster cut inside and shot low down to Poke's left.
Murray was inches away from securing a Brighton win with a right foot cross-shot while Kevin Nicholson stung Kuipers hands with a twenty yard free-kick for United as the match finished in a mad scramble.
Three minutes of added on time weren't enough for United to test Kuipers again and a solid performance by the Gulls wasn't enough to overcome a Brighton side that had done their homework and put in a professional ninety minutes of their own.
Full-Time: United 0 Brighton 1
