Brighton & Hove Albion : Bore draw now FC United on the cards
Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Woking 0
By Tim Hodges at Withdean.
The Albion played out a goalless stalemate against Woking at Withdean on Saturday, in front of around 5,000 fans.
Lewis Dunk partnered Tommy Elphick in the centre of defence, while Peter Brezovan played his first match of the season in goal.
Woking came closest to scoring in the first half through Moses Ademola.
In the second half Gus Poyet introduced Gary Hart and the old stalwart had a great chance to give the Albion the lead, but dragged his shot wide.
Try as they might the Seagulls could just not find a way through a resilient Woking defence.
Woking had the last chance of the match with substitute Sogbanmu fluffing his lines at his big moment and snatching at his shot.
The replay at Woking’s Kingfield stadium is worth more than £33,000 because it is to be televised live on the ESPN channel.
If Brighton win the replay, they will also earn £18,000 prize money from the Football Association.
The they will face FC United of Manchester on Saturday 27 or Sunday 28 November.
FC United were formed five years ago and have already won three promotions since starting in the bottom tier of English football.
They now play in the Northern Premier League at Bury’s Gigg Lane ground and overcame League One Rochdale 3-2 in a derby match to make it through to the second round.
The winners of the tie will receive £27,000 from the FA prize fund. If the match is televised live – as FC United’s tie at Rochdale was – it will be worth at least £67,000 more.
But first there’s the small matter of Albion’s replay at Woking which kicks off at 7.45pm next Tuesday (16 November).
Albion: Brezovan; Calderon, Elphick, Dunk, Painter; Bridcutt, Sparrow, Dicker, Baz; Barnes, Murray. Subs: Poke, Battipiedi, El-Abd, Bennett, Hart, Smith, Taricco.
Woking: Little; Anane, McNerney, Doyle, Thomas; Ademola, Maledon, Ricketts, Quarm, Hammond, Federico. Subs: Pegler, Faulconbridge, Sogbanmu, Inns, Turnbull, Gilroy, Watkins.
Ref: Mike Russell (Herts)
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