Brighton & Hove Albion: Brez is the man!

By Tim Hodges

Wrexham 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (aet)

Albion win 5-4 on penalties

The Albion eventually won a hard-fought cup replay but had keeper Peter Brezovan to thank for some super saves and a vital penalty shoot- out stop.

Wrexham went ahead after 25 minutes when player manager Andy Morrell hit a rising shot from the edge of the box into the roof of the net.

Albion found chances few and far between as they tried to thwart the home side’s advances to go further in front.

In the second half Wrexham again appeared to be getting the better of the Seagulls and Gus Poyet introduced Toby Agdestein and Ashley Barnes at the expense of Will Hoskins and Alan Navarro just after the hour.

Both these were involved in Albion’s equaliser. Agdestein played a short reverse ball to Matt Sparrow, whose superb cross was met by the head of Barnes with 15 minutes left to make it 1-1.

Joe Clarke for Wrexham and Agdestein for Albion both had chances to win the tie late on in normal time, with close-range headers both from corners.

But the replay was destined for extra time, which was punctuated by two great saves from Brezovan – one from Mark Creighton just three minutes in and another right at the end when he tipped Jay Harris’s header on to and over the bar.

Albion had a curious shout for a goal early on in extra time when Wrexham keeper Joslain Mayebi appeared to carry Buckley’s long range shot over the line.

Agdestein  also had a great chance when one on one with Mayebi, after great work by Buckley, but the keeper saved.

In the end it came down to penalties.

Brezovan saved the very first kick from Dean Keates. Then it was Barnes, Sparrow, Inigo Calderon, Liam Bridcutt and Craig Mackail-Smith. They all scored for Albion, sending them through to a 4th round tie with Newcastle United at the Amex on the Saturday 28 January.