Carling Cup - City humbled by Brighton

Eurosport - Thu, 25 Sep 10:09:00 2008

Michel Kuipers' save from Michael Ball landed a huge shock for Brighton as they defeated Manchester City 5-3 on penalties in the Carling Cup.

FOOTBALL Brighton and Hove celebrate against Manchester City Carling Cup 2008 GETTY IMAGES - 0

The League One outfit forced extra-time at the Withdean Stadium after a 1-1 draw and were ahead in the extra period before finally reaching the third round of the competition on spot-kicks - and a home tie against Derby.

Gelson Fernandes had finally taken a chance for wasteful City in the 64th minute from Jo's pass and it looked enough to win it until Glenn Murray slotted an 89th-minute Brighton equaliser.

The shocked looked on when on-loan substitute Joe Anyinsah lashed them ahead five minutes into extra-time but Stephen Ireland's reply 10 minutes later forced the shoot-out.

Excited fans in a record home crowd of 8,729 flooded the pitch at the end after Matt Richards put away the winner from the spot.

But in this classic triumph for poor over rich Brighton's heroes were multiple with Dave Livermore, Tommy Elphick, Glenn Murray and Adam Virgo all scored in the shoot-out before Kuipers' masterful stop.

In their first public appearance since being anointed the "richest club in the world" by the £200million Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover, City sent out six players who started Sunday's 6-0 demolition of Portsmouth.

But they took a long time to impose themselves on the battling League One side, who had won only once at home this season and lost to a Walsall team reduced to nine men before half-time on Saturday.

The nearest thing to a goal in the first half came when Brighton's stand-in captain Steve Thomson, wearing the armband in the absence of injured top scorer Nicky Forster, sliced through the centre of City's defence and drilled his shot against Kasper Schmeichel's left-hand post.

Earlier it had taken 13 minutes for City to muster a shot on goal, with Jo barely testing Kuipers from 25 yards.

The Brazilian striker struggled for long periods, needed treatment after a hefty challenge by Matt Richards and was slow off the mark to a 33rd-minute through-ball which Kuipers came out to collect.

Ball was City's saviour in the 27th minute when the dangerous Thomson burst through onto a low ball which the defender had to hook away.

But City finally got going and Kuipers had to be quick off his line to deny Daniel Sturridge before the visitors wasted a golden chance to go ahead soon afterwards.

Ireland's corner from the right found Richard Dunne rising head and shoulders above all challengers but he steered his header over the crossbar.

Brighton bridged the gap in class with their commitment and work-rate, closing down smartly and preventing any real flow to the City attacks.

City, though, spurned another inviting opening four minutes before the break when Jo set up Pablo Zabaleta to lay off for Johnson but the midfielder's shot skewered wide of the target.

Swiss star Fernandes looked like he had won it when driving in Jo's unselfish assist in the 64th minute and they could have had more but for Kuipers' saves from Jo and Ched Evans before Murray came up with a stunning 89th-minute equaliser after Schmeichel could only parry Thomson's shot.

City had been warned when Schmeichel had to race off his line three minutes earlier to deny Murray.

But they were still strolling five minutes into extra time when Anyinsah fired home in style from 12 yards after great work by fellow substitute Dean Cox.

The loan signing from Preston had the chance to seal it in the first half of extra time, breaking clear only to be overhauled by a desperate Dunne.

And it could have proved costly when Ireland out-fought Elphick and Kuipers to lash home a long ball for a 109th-minute equaliser.

The glory, though, was all Brighton's in the end.

TeamTalk / Eurosport

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  1. GOOD FOR YOU FERRET,,,
    I THINK NIGEL SOUNDS A BIT ECKY FUMP..
    LIVERPOOL HAVE BEEN MORE OF THE DOMINATING FORCE,WHEN IT COMES TO FOOTBALL.
    AND I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT,,AND THEY HATE THERE (L/POOLS)SUCCESS
    OK SO MAN URE HAVE HAD THERE GLORY..NOTHING LASTS FOREVER.
    SO NIGEL W?????...GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT BEFORE YOU START CALLING PEOPLE FROM LIVERPOOL.

    From big10, on Thu 25 Sep 12:54AM
  2. Firstly congratulations to Brighton and good luck in the next round of the Carling Cup, fortunately you now find yourself in real good company with the so called top four pretenders who now realise that the Mickey Mouse Cup is their only real chance of silverware for a long-long time to come, we at Eastlands have got bigger and better fish to fry these days so come Sunday it will be business as usual at Wigan as the Blue Army goes marching on its way to the very-very top.
    I agree that no amounts of money can buy all success but our Billions & Billions & Billions have not had the chance to rip the so called Premiership big guns apart just yet and we actually didn't lose the game it finished 2-2, but as it has been stated on too many occasions the lottery of a penalty shootout can go either way and just like the real 2008 Champions League Cup Winners "Chelsea", it takes just one miss and you get the scum of the earth falsely Claiming to being the Champions of the World and the greatest team on the planet, but as all real football fans know the true Champions were actually cheated by the lottery of a penalty shoot-out in Moscow.
    Hopefully Brighton will rake in a fortune and draw the Scum of the earth at the Theatre of Clowns in the next round, it wont be a problem as Taggart's band of Merry Misfit Munes are just as easy to beat in their own backyard as they will be at Withdean.

    "GOOD LUCK BRIGHTON IN THE NEXT ROUND AND FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON".

    PS:
    Did that brilliant tackle by Boro's Wheater on Possbon remind you of a Scum-thug tackle on "Alfie Haaland" a few moons ago??, i hope Southgate comes out with a an identical statement to what Old Baconface came out with in defence of Keane at the time...."The boy doesn't have to answer to anyone, it was a hard tackle but a fair tackle".... Yep it was so hard and fair that it totally smashed Haalands leg and ended his football career.

    From Bilbo, on Thu 25 Sep 12:50AM
  3. mancav66 i bet you sleep with a cuddly moonchester.......... nugget

    From ian l, on Thu 25 Sep 12:46AM
  4. SAM...YOUR THE F****N JOKE.
    IF YOU HAVE NOTHING POSITIVE TO SAY THEN GO TO BED WITH YOUR LITTLE TEDDY BEAR,AND LET MUMMY TUCK YOU IN,,YOU SAD O

    From big10, on Thu 25 Sep 12:43AM
  5. nigel w i am far from being a scouser if i want your opinion i will give it to you

    From ferret, on Thu 25 Sep 12:42AM
  6. Ferret is a jerk....what planet is he on? He says Liverpool great in the 90's ....silly sod ....maybe the 70's ....United have been the only great team in the 90's and 2000. But a typical Scouser....thick as a plank!!!

    From Enjay, on Thu 25 Sep 12:38AM
  7. simmonz82 you should join the b.n.p. what an awe inspiring speach. keep polotics out of sport please. theres enough d*@kheads running all forms of sport without another one barking b@lls@@t

    From ferret, on Thu 25 Sep 12:37AM
  8. never mind great teams take time to build. liverpool in the 90s and mancs utd since. time will tell what happens next............

    From ferret, on Thu 25 Sep 12:32AM
  9. CITY TILL I DIE ,CITY TILL I DIE.
    SO WE GOT BEAT ON PENALTIES,,,BIG F****N,DEAL.
    AT LEAST WE ARE NOT MOANING,WHINGEING OR CRYING ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN,LIKE THE MAJORITY OF D***S ON HERE

    From big10, on Thu 25 Sep 12:22AM
  10. Man city is a joke anyway......

    From Sam, on Thu 25 Sep 12:22AM
  11. I think that these arabs and russians with all this money opitimise the farse that has become the united kingdom. English people are the biggest sellouts on the planet, sell the tube, sell british airways, sell british gas shall i go on? the truth is this country is being raped of its integrity and because there are so many foreigners in high places blind eyes are turned toward things like football. This country is being used like a @#$% airport where people come and go and dont give a @#$%, there is no tradiion no pride if being english anymore. How can you celebrate a player like robinho coming to manchester when you know he didnt choose to go these, hes only here for the money and own personal gain? you only have to look 20 miles down the road and look at ronaldo wanting to leave man u. I grew up in london i payed for fulham as a teenager trained with keegan and speak fluent Polish, didnt make it pro so i got a degree in graphics. So im also half a foreigner, i cant stand all these americans, arabs and russians making football into a payper view battle. And only those of you who like me have got up to train at 7 in the morning with a pro club will understand why its hard to accept money destroying our game and our national team and the fact that its no longer cool to be english.

    From simmonz82, on Thu 25 Sep 12:14AM
  12. I think that these arabs and russians with all this money opitimise the farse that has become the united kingdom. English people are the biggest sellouts on the planet, sell the tube, sell british airways, sell british gas shall i go on? the truth is this country is being raped of its integrity and because there are so many foreigners in high places blind eyes are turned toward things like football. This country is being used like a @#$% airport where people come and go and dont give a @#$%, there is no tradiion no pride if being english anymore. How can you celebrate a player like robinho coming to manchester when you know he didnt choose to go these, hes only here for the money and own personal gain? you only have to look 20 miles down the road and look at ronaldo wanting to leave man u. I grew up in london i payed for fulham as a teenager trained with keegan and speak fluent Polish, didnt make it pro so i got a degree in graphics. So im also half a foreigner, i cant stand all these americans, arabs and russians making football into a payper view battle. And only those of you who like me have got up to train at 7 in the morning with a pro club will understand why its hard to accept money destroying our game and our national team and the fact that its no longer cool to be english.

    From simmonz82, on Thu 25 Sep 12:14AM
  13. I think that these arabs and russians with all this money opitimise the farse that has become the united kingdom. English people are the biggest sellouts on the planet, sell the tube, sell british airways, sell british gas shall i go on? the truth is this country is being raped of its integrity and because there are so many foreigners in high places blind eyes are turned toward things like football. This country is being used like a @#$% airport where people come and go and dont give a @#$%, there is no tradiion no pride if being english anymore. How can you celebrate a player like robinho coming to manchester when you know he didnt choose to go these, hes only here for the money and own personal gain? you only have to look 20 miles down the road and look at ronaldo wanting to leave man u. I grew up in london i payed for fulham as a teenager trained with keegan and speak fluent Polish, didnt make it pro so i got a degree in graphics. So im also half a foreigner, i cant stand all these americans, arabs and russians making football into a payper view battle. And only those of you who like me have got up to train at 7 in the morning with a pro club will understand why its hard to accept money destroying our game and our national team and the fact that its no longer cool to be english.

    From simmonz82, on Thu 25 Sep 12:11AM
  14. I think that these arabs and russians with all this money opitimise the farse that has become the united kingdom. English people are the biggest sellouts on the planet, sell the tube, sell british airways, sell british gas shall i go on? the truth is this country is being raped of its integrity and because there are so many foreigners in high places blind eyes are turned toward things like football. This country is being used like a @#$% airport where people come and go and dont give a @#$%, there is no tradiion no pride if being english anymore. How can you celebrate a player like robinho coming to manchester when you know he didnt choose to go these, hes only here for the money and own personal gain? you only have to look 20 miles down the road and look at ronaldo wanting to leave man u. I grew up in london i payed for fulham as a teenager trained with keegan and speak fluent Polish, didnt make it pro so i got a degree in graphics. So im also half a foreigner, i cant stand all these americans, arabs and russians making football into a payper view battle. And only those of you who like me have got up to train at 7 in the morning with a pro club will understand why its hard to accept money destroying our game and our national team and the fact that its no longer cool to be english.

    From simmonz82, on Thu 25 Sep 12:10AM
  15. to all man ure red shi**s,and whoever is having a go at the blues.
    7/9/06..southend 1-scum utd 0..4th round of the league cup.
    loyal blue till i die....

    From big10, on Thu 25 Sep 12:08AM
  16. Money my arse,it was brighton,you dont need money,there a prem side.they keep that up ,old sheik n bake is gonna have the managers balls for earings

    From !, on Wed 24 Sep 11:46PM
  17. Where are you now, Man @#$% fans?

    From breathalyse@..., on Wed 24 Sep 11:39PM
  18. Congrats to Brighton undoubtedly the minnows...but the FACT is Man City's money hasnt got a chance to talk yet. As a result of the transfer deadline, this new money has bought one player to date- Robinho- and he wasnt playing tonight. So forget those tabloidesque comments.

    Tonight is about Brighton and their fantastic result.
    Oh and can those United fans who seem to hvae nothing intelligent or constructive to say- keep out of this. You probably arent even from Manchester anyway

    From drumlinenof, on Wed 24 Sep 11:32PM
  19. MARTINMOORE YOU MUST BE SOME POOR UNITED FAN, WHO DONT HAVE MONEY, GO GET A JOB STOP WASTING YOUR TIME ON UNITED. GET REAL HOW MANY @#$% YOU CAN BUY IF YOU HAD MONEY.

    From atlantis g, on Wed 24 Sep 11:13PM
  20. haha man city serves u right for trying to be cocky

    From peterjinbrighton, on Wed 24 Sep 11:10PM
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