Potter faces the mid-table Premier League manager’s dilemma about where to place the FA Cup in his list of priorities, and much might be read into his selections. He gave a debut to goalkeeper Scherpen, a summer signing from Ajax, while 19-year-old wing back Odel Offiah – nephew of rugby great Martin Offiah – made his first senior start. Evan Ferguson, a 17-year-old striker, came off the bench for his FA Cup debut.
“We picked a team today with winning the game in my mind and we are delighted that we have,” he said. Asked whether he could satisfy the desire of supporters to see Brighton make a serious challenge, he would promise no more than “we will always do our best.”
Kipré was sent off for two yellow card offences in the space of two minutes, after which Brighton sensed an opportunity. After Marc Cucurella’s ball in from the left, touches by Leaondro Trossard and Ferguson fed the ball to Moder, whose classy finish flew past Button into the top left corner.
Button saved from Alexis Mac Allister to push the tie towards extra time, in which Maupay finished off another sweeping move with his eighth goal of the season to settle it.
As a third-round tie it was entertaining enough, but in a dismal commentary on where a once eagerly-anticipated date in the football calendar now stands, the match attracted just 8,208 spectators to the home of the five-times winners of the competition.
Match details
West Bromwich Albion (3-4-3): Button; Kipré, Bartley, Burn; Furlong, Livermore (Cleary 100), Gardner-Hickman (Ashworth 68), Reach; Robinson (Taylor 79), Phillips (Diangana 64), Grant (Fellows 79).
Substitutes not used: Palmer (gk), Hugill, Tulloch, Castro.
Brighton & Hove Albion (3-5-2): Scherpen; Veltman (Ferguson 76), Duffy, Burn; Offiah (Cucurella 55), Gross, Mwepu (Mac Allister 28), Alzate (Moder 76), March; Maupay, Welbeck (Trossard 55).
Substitutes not used: Sanchez (gk), Roberts, Leonard, Turns.
Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside)
Bookings: West Bromwich: Livermore, Kipré, Townsend, Reach. Sent-off: Kipré (69 mins).
Attendance: 8,208
