Soccer

Evan Ferguson’s double helps Brighton cruise past spirited Grimsby in FA Cup

Teenage Irish striker denied hat-trick by offside as Seagulls set up Wembley semi-final date

Evan Ferguson celebrates after scoring Brighton's second goal during the FA Cup quarter-final win over Grimsby Town at the Amex stadium. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
Evan Ferguson celebrates after scoring Brighton's second goal during the FA Cup quarter-final win over Grimsby Town at the Amex stadium. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images
David Hytner at the Amex Stadium
Sun Mar 19 2023 - 16:55

Brighton 5 Grimsby Town 0

It was a romantic story, one to fire the dreams of a club and a town – just not the one that the neutrals had wanted. This FA Cup quarter-final was set up for Grimsby to make history, to become the first fourth-tier club to reach the last four of the competition.

Instead, it was Brighton that advanced – as was always going to be the case; 99 times out of 100, anyway – Roberto De Zerbi’s team penning the latest chapter of their fantastic season to ensure that the puns focused on seagulls feasting on fish.

Grimsby, 15th in League Two, had brought 5,000 fans and many more inflatable Harry Haddocks – their ubiquitous mascot. They had carried hope because their club had already achieved something unique in the cup, knocking out five teams from higher divisions in a single season, most recently Southampton.

This was a step too far, Brighton too strong as they advanced to only the third cup semi-final of their history. The strains of how the club were “going to Wem-ber-ley” filled the air as their 18-year-old Irish striker Evan Ferguson scored twice to supplement Deniz Undav’s early opener.

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Brighton have done so much already this season, sitting seventh in the Premier League – on course for their best finish and points tally. They want European football for the first time and, also, a first major trophy. It is all about what they can do next. Could they go one better than they did in the 1983 FA Cup final when they lost to Manchester United after a replay?

Brighton pulled clear towards the end, their superior fitness playing a part, and further goals from Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma gave the final scoreline the gloss that it deserved.

For Grimsby, it was a massive pay-day but that was of minimal concern to the 5,000 fans who made the 473-mile round-trip to and from northeast Lincolnshire. It was about creating memories and standing as a united community, the grandest of days out and, of course, another chance to brandish those Harry Haddocks. They were first wafted around en masse before kick-off as Sweet Caroline played. The English? Eccentric? Nah ...

The Harry Haddocks go back to Grimsby’s fifth-round tie against Wimbledon in 1989 but the club’s history with the competition is deeper. Remarkably, they were chasing a third appearance in the semi-finals, following those in 1936 and 1939.

Nobody gave them a prayer. Brighton are a much bigger fish than Southampton these days and, if their line-up was imposing – De Zerbi did not have to rest anybody with the international break looming – then so was their start, Undav opening the scoring on six minutes after the goalkeeper, Maxime Crocombe, could only parry a Moisés Caicedo blast from the edge of the area.

Up in the stands, baseball cap pulled low, De Zerbi showed no emotion. He was given a touchline ban after his fourth yellow card of the season in Wednesday’s home win over Crystal Palace.

Grimsby’s journey to this point had been astonishing. Never mind the scalps they had taken on this dream cup run, they were not even a Football League club last season. They won promotion via the National League playoffs after a sixth-placed finish.

Paul Hurst set up with five across the back and four in midfield. The Grimsby manager knew what the order of the day would be, especially with Pascal Gross stepping up from right back when Brighton had the ball (which was often) to become an auxiliary midfielder or even an inside or outside right, sometimes underlapping with March.

After the early concession, it was a triumph for Grimsby to reach the interval at 1-0. They barely crossed halfway, the pulses of their supporters only quickened when Lewis Dunk nearly overcooked a long-range back pass with Robert Sánchez off his line. But Hurst’s team were disciplined in their shape and did not give up many chances.

Gross spun and lifted just off target from a Mitoma pullback on 42 minutes. Before that, from a Gross cross, Mitoma had stretched at the far post only for the needed contact to elude him. The goal was gaping. Undav also headed straight at Crocombe.

The one-way traffic continued in the second-half only this time Brighton were incisive and clinical. Ferguson’s first was extremely tidy. He pulled down a chipped pass from Alexis Mac Allister before taking another good touch and finishing while his second was good, too, a run and cool finish following an Undav touch.

Brighton could have had many more. Undav shot high after a March cross had deflected and hit the far post; Mitoma rolled past the far post; Ferguson was pulled back after an offside; Adam Webster hit the post and Mitoma again guided just wide.

Grimsby just wanted one moment to go their way in front of goal but it did not do so, despite the best efforts of the substitute John McAtee. He was denied at close quarters by Sánchez and also saw the goalkeeper push away his curling shot. – Guardian