Glenn Murray scores late winner for Brighton against Palace as VAR makes its debut
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Updated 08/01/2018 at 23:30 GMT
FA Cup third round, Amex Stadium – Brighton and Hove Albion 2 (Stephens 25, Murray 87) Crystal Palace 1 (Sako 69)
Glenn Murray of Brighton and Hove Albion (17) celebrates as he scores their second goal with team mates during The Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace at Amex Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Brighton, England.
Image credit: Eurosport
Substitute Glenn Murray scored three minutes from time to give Brighton a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made its debut in a competitive game in England.
Both sides were dealt an early blow with Izzy Brown limping off after a 50-50 challenge with Jeffrey Schlupp, who also went off injured.
But it was the Seagulls who dominated despite making eight changes and they took a deserved lead through Dale Stephen's deflected strike from close range for his first goal of the season.
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Brighton & Hove Albion - Crystal Palace
Image credit: Getty Images
The Eagles - who were without the injured Wilfried Zaha - improved after switching to 4-4-2 and equalised through Bakary Sako’s stunning 25-yard strike.
But it was super sub Murray who had the final say against his former club after the ball came off his knee from a yard out to send Chris Hughton’s side into the fourth round against Middlesbrough.
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Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace
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TALKING POINT
How did the VAR experiment go? The game was controversy free for 87 minutes with Andre Marriner refereeing the game well. But there was a big talking point as Palace wanted a review of Murray’s winning goal over a suspected handball, which did not come as replays showed the ball hit the forward’s knee and just missed his arm.
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A cameraman films the the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system pitchside prior to its us during the English FA Cup third round football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton.
Image credit: Eurosport
MAN OF THE MATCH
Bakary Sako (Crystal Palace): He was the Eagles’ best player by a country mile. Always looking to put in a cross and chasing hopeful balls throughout the game. And his endeavour was rewarded with a stunning strike. He has been used mainly as a substitute in recent weeks, but this display will force Roy Hodgson to reconsider.
PLAYER RATINGS
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION: Krul 5, Schelotto 7, Goldson 5, Heunemeier 5, Bong 6, March 6, Stephens 7, Kayal 6, Izquierdo 5, Brown n/a, Hemed 5. Subs: Baldock 5, Pröpper 5, Murray n/a
CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 5, Kelly 5, Fosu-Mensah 5, Delaney 5, Schlupp n/a, Townsend 5, McArthur 4, Cabaye 6, Riedelwald 4, van Aanholt 5, Sakho 8. Subs: Soare 5 , Kaikai 6.
CRYSTAL PALACE: Hennessey 5, Kelly 5, Fosu-Mensah 5, Delaney 5, Schlupp n/a, Townsend 5, McArthur 4, Cabaye 6, Riedelwald 4, van Aanholt 5, Sakho 8. Subs: Soare 5 , Kaikai 6.
KEY MOMENTS:
- 6’ -INJURY: Brown has gone down again with that knee injury he picked up in that challenge with Schlupp. The midfielder is hobbling off, a day after his 21st birthday.
- 12’ – INJURY: Soare is on for Schlupp, who has not recovered from the earlier challenge with Brown.
- 25’ - GOAL FOR BRIGHTON! Stephens hammers the ball past the keeper from a tight angle via a slight deflection after Schelotto's pass.
- 69’ - GOAL FOR PALACE! Sakho with a thunderous low strike from 25 yards which goes in off the post. He had a lot od space but that was a wonderful effort.
- 73’ - WOODWORK! March cuts the ball back for Baldock whose curling effort hits the post. Thirty seconds later the ball is laid off for Kayal who blazes his effort over from inside the area.
- 82’- WHAT A MISS! Kayal threads the ball through to Baldock who is through on goal but fires his effort wastefully over.
- 87’ - GOAL FOR BRIGHTON! Murray runs onto a flick on from Heunemeier to score with his knee from a yard out.
KEY STATS
- This was the third time these two rivals have been drawn together in the FA Cup, with the last tie also going to a second replay after the first two games ended in a stalemate in December 1976.
- Each of Glenn Murray’s last three FA Cup goals have come as a substitute.
- Brighton have progressed to the FA Cup Fourth Round in eight of the last nine campaigns.
- Each of Glenn Murray’s last three FA Cup goals have come as a substitute.
- Murray has scored in back to back appearances for Brighton, after netting just once in his previous 10.
- Bakary Sako scored his first ever goal in the FA Cup, in what was his seventh appearance in the competition.
- No player has scored more goals in all competitions for Crystal Palace this season than Sako (5).
- Dale Stephens scored his first goal for Brighton since netting versus Blackburn in December 2016 – 391 days ago.
- It was Stephens’ first FA Cup goal since November 2010, while playing for Oldham Athletic versus Accrington Stanley.
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