Brighton did well in making Grimsby’s big day extra special

A fantastic week for the Albion was rounded off on Sunday with the visit of League Two side Grimsby Town to the Amex for the FA Cup quarter finals.

It was a big day out for Grimsby fans, or maybe even a weekend? The visitors were reported to have arrived in Brighton on Saturday, enjoying a south coast seaside rather than an east coast seaside.

They came in their thousands, over four thousand in fact. There was a fantastic atmosphere and that made the Amex an exciting place to be, especially if you were a mum being treated to a Mother’s Day at the football.

The noise that the visitors created was unlike anything I have ever heard from any group of away supporters. It was relentless until the goals started going in, but even then they kept cheering their team on. You could tell how proud the players had made their town with their FA Cup heroics.

If they start playing like that in the league with the same sort of support behind them, there will be something fishy going on if they don’t begin moving up the table.

Brighton tried to make the day extra special for the Grimsby supporters. I am led to believe that the Mariners’ mascot was the great grandson of a player from the 1930s.

Some memory he will have when he grows up and tells his own great grand children of when Grimsby played in the FA Cup quarter finals.

It will be the same for the Mariners players, who swapped shirts with the Albion and were given a standing ovation as they walked off from a lot of Brighton supporters who remained.

The Albion paid out for both North and South Stands to have coloured cards which formed patterns welcoming both teams to the pitch. What a lovely gesture.

Mariners fans afterwards had nothing but praise for the Amex, the Albion and the helpfulness and kindness shown to them by Seagulls fans.

The only let down was that a number of Grimsby supporters were very untidy. The pitch ended up being a rubbish tip for anything they could get their hands on; those cards, their inflatable haddocks, I even heard coinage was thrown.

Thankfully, referee Jarred Gillett stopped the game to get something done about it in the second half. Brighton were already on their way to Wembley at this point, and so I did wonder if they might just give Robert Sanchez a bin liner and have him pick the rubbish up for something to do.

Speaking of Wembley, I have never seen the Albion play there. I was especially desperate for Brighton to win and as such, re-watched the game as soon as I got home. Having my hero Glenn Murray as part of the BBC punditry team made it almost as enjoyable second time round!

I was a little concerned at times during the first half when the game was a slow burner with a long fuse. Roberto De Zerbi was watching from the West Upper but once he was able to say a few words to the players at half time, Brighton caught light.

As play commenced, it became clear Grimsby were going to go long at every opportunity from goalkeeper Max Crocombe.

That meant Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, Pervis Estupinan and Moises Caicedo were busy making more headers in one half of football than they probably have all season so far combined.

It did not take Brighton long to take the lead. Some possession football ended with a low grass cutting shot from Caicedo.

Crocombe saved, only for the rebound to fall nicely for Deniz Undav to score a poacher’s goal. Six minutes gone and the Albion led 1-0.

Brighton continued with their patient passing football. It released Kaoru Mitoma down the right to speed off like a Japanese Bullet Train.

Mitoma’s cross looked perfect until it was intercepted by a Grimsby defender, just preventing Solly March doubling the lead.

Those Mariners fans waving their inflatable Harry Haddocks in the air nearly had something to cheer when Sanchez went to scoop up a ball on the very edge of his area.

VAR checked and Sanchez was eventually ruled to have handled inside the box rather than outside. Sanchez was lucky as it looked like he had dropped a serious bollock.

The Grimsby goal began to resemble a fairground shooting arcade after that. Mitoma, Caicedo and Pascal Gross all missed before half time.

Caicedo was caught from behind by a defender as he shot and seemed to be in a lot of back pain. I was pretty impressed he soldiered on, especially with a long flight to Australia for international duty with Ecuador. Going short haul with a bad back is a struggle enough, let alone to the other side of the world.

During the break, we were treated to hearing about all the amazing work the medical team at the Amex have achieved over the past 10 years.

In that time, seven people have suffered a cardiac arrest. I was amazed and relieved to hear that all seven had been saved, an incredible 100 percent success rate.

The doctor and his team of response staff with their defibrillators deserve all the praise they can get. At my age, you hope you are not going to be their next patient.

You could tell straight from the start of the second half that De Zerbi must have had words. There was much more energy and determination to get the job done and see us on our way to Wembley.

March played a high dipping ball towards the Grimsby goal which bounced off the post and to Undav. He somehow lashed it over the bar from six yards when it really should have gone in.

A piece of Evan Ferguson magic gave Brighton their second. Alexis Mac Allister played a lovely pass into Ferguson, who brought it down, turned and gently found the right hand corner with such a controlled finish.

Mitoma worked his way into a dangerous space again to let a shot go which missed the far post by a ball’s width. Then Ferguson had a goal disallowed when March had a toenail offside as he played the final pass.

Sanchez had to take a break from dodging litter to make a strong save from John McAtee with Webster cleaning up the rebound.

Grimsby were becoming more of an attacking force and that meant the game began to resemble a classic end-to-end cup tie heading into the closing stages.

Mitoma raced into the box and appeared to be clipped by Michee Efete. No penalty was given but having watched back the highlights, I felt Mitoma deserved to win a spot kick.

Brighton instead settled for a corner which Gross delivered and Webster headed against the woodwork. The whistle blew for some sort of foul in there, giving Grimsby a chance to catch their breath and take a break for a minute.

The Albion were now applying relentless pressure and it soon took its toll. Ferguson finished with pinpoint accuracy to make it 3-0 in what was his last action of the game with Danny Welbeck coming in.

Ferguson clearly wanted his hat-trick, judging by the fact he kicked the ball away from the centre spot as he was being brought off.

Such enthusiasm from a young player is great to see, even if Brighton were doing the right thing by protecting him ahead of what is sure to be a busy set of internationals with the Republic of Ireland.

Welbeck was soon into the game, having a shot smothered by Crocombe after picking up a pass from the right by March. Crocombe then parried away another Welbeck effort.

March then disappeared from his normal righty flank, suddenly popping up on the left where he launched himself at a cross from Webster to score his eighth goal of the season with a superb diving header to make it 4-0.

Sanchez was called into action again by McAtee and young midfielder Yasin Ayari came on for his debut. I was really impressed by Ayari, who already looks like he has the potential to play exciting and creative football.

Mitoma rounded off the scoring with a heavily deflected fifth. Wembley beckons and I have already booked my Seagulls Travel tickets… now I just need a match ticket! Bring on Manchester United.

Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony