Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Blackpool 1
Albion are through to the FA Cup 5th round as they won their first game at the Amex since last June.
Yves Bissouma put the Seagulls ahead on 27 minutes and, despite chances for Andi Zeqiri and Lewis Dunk, the Albion stayed just the one goal ahead until Luke Garbutt picked out Gary Madine who slotted home an equaliser right on the stroke of half-time.
Adam Webster, Alexis Mac Allister and Bissouma again all had chances for Albion early in the second half.
But it was Mac Allister who restored Brighton’s lead although Steve Alzate was credited with the goal.
Mac Allister’s shot was on target but hit Steve Alzate on the back and deflected past the despairing dive of Chris Maxwell in the Blackpool goal.
Christian Walton, playing his first competitive match for Albion for over two years, looked assured in goal especially when Dan Burn put him under pressure with an under-hit back pass. Walton had to readjust his feet quickly.
Davy Propper missed what should have been a fairly easy chance.
Solly March looked lively after he replaced Alzate and Brighton saw the match out fairly comfortably in the end.
In the fifth round the Seagulls will play the winners of tomorrow’s fourth round tie when Brentford host Leicester City.
Before then Brighton have the slightly more important task of trying to keep a buffer between themselves and relegation rivals Fulham when the two sides meet at the Amex on Wednesday (27 January) in the Premier League.
