Brighton power past Derby to reach quarters
BRIGHTON: Brighton reached the quarter-finals of the English FA Cup for the second year in a row after holding on for a 2-1 win over second-tier Derby.
Brighton looked to be in complete control after taking a 2-0 lead at half-time, with Anthony Knockaert and Juergen Locadia scoring for the English Premier League side.
But Derby threatened to make a comeback after veteran leftback Ashley Cole – a seven-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal and Chelsea – scored his first goal in the competition in the 81st minute.
That made for a nervy last 10 minutes for the hosts, but Harry Wilson and Fikayo Tomori both shot wide for Derby to scupper any hopes of a comeback.
Knockaert opened the scoring in the 33rd minute by meeting a low cross in the area and sweeping a shot inside the near post, before Locadia doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time by firing in from close range after Yves Bissouma’s effort had hit the post.
Cole responded with his first goal in English football in six years after Florian Jozefzoon went down under a challenge from Bernardo and the ball was cleared into the path of the former England defender.
While his teammates appealed for a penalty, Cole calmly headed home.
The 38- year- old Cole signed with Derby in January after leaving Los Angeles Galaxy.
The English Championship side are managed by Cole’s former Chelsea teammate, Frank Lampard, and was looking for another upset after knocking Manchester United out of the English League Cup and beating Southampton in the FA Cup’s third round – both times on penalties.
Championship side Millwall also advanced after Murray Wallace’s early goal was enough to secure a 1- 0 win over English League One strugglers AFC Wimbledon.
Wallace headed in a cross from Ryan Leonard in the fifth minute and the hosts had a number of second-half chances to add to the lead, but couldn’t find a way past Wimbledon goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for a second time.
It’s the second time in three years the London club reach the quarter-finals.