FA Cup semi-final
BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 0

Manchester United win 7-6 on penalties

IT was an afternoon with a familiar lament: where would the Brighton and Hove Albion project be if the Seagulls had a lethal striker to finish off all their good work.

There was no doubt who the better team at Wembley and there was no fear in playing Manchester United; not even a glimpse of an inferiority complex. WIth most bookmakers, the friends-winning team from the south coast were the favourite.

But while they had the best of the chances in this FA Cup semi-final, the killer instinct was missing up front and a host of good chances fizzled out.

Many people may be lipping the lips at the prospect of a duel between United and City in the final, neutrals really should have been backing the team in blue and white stripes.  Brighton are admirably run club, growing sensibly, scouting well and playing cute passing football.

United, in return, were full of gamesmanship, slowing the game down and wrecking the flow like teams used to do to them during their 1990s dominance. They have a swagger which betrays their dull mode of football, It also lets down the attacking talents they are able to call on.

It would have been a more interesting contest if the Red Devils had come out and tried to win the match outright, rather than counterpunching at odd intervals. Clearly, they have the ingredients to develop under Erik Ten Hag in the next few years and a potential cup double would be a good return for a team crushed by Brentford at the start of the season. But, oh my, they are a drag to watch.

The manager’s admission later that they have been practising penalties all season perhaps indicate this lack of open play ambition. United were happy from the first whistle for this contest to go to penalties and for it to end as it did.

While Brighton deserved better, they also had only themselves to blame for a lack of precision in the final third. In roomier environs than the Amex Stadium, Solly March and Kauro Mitoma did not suffer from stagefright down the flanks but they will be wondering if they could have made more of their bursts into their United box.

There was either a loss of control at a vital second, or a shot hit too low or too tamely. The best hope was Danny Welbeck, a former United plater of course, but his headers bounced over or straight at the keeper and he ran out of gas, eventually limping off.

His replacement Dennis Undav seemed out of his depth, missing the runs Alexix Mac Allister wanted to thread through to him and fumbling control off his boots when finally alone in front of goal. Roberto Di Zerbi,  the thoughtful Brighton manager, will have wished the young forward, Ferguson, was not sidelined through injury but there was simply not enough firepower to make the most of the possession his team enjoyed.

Ninety minutes came and went without a goal, then extra-time. It was not for the want of trying but Brighton just could not fashion enough clear cut chances and were always one defender in the way of a mazy run or a passing move.

The goalkeepers in the shootout were rather hapless and watching their wild and unsuccessful attempts to keep one out, it became more and more likely that a crucial miss would come from a blast away from the goal completely.

The fall guy was Solly March, who has missed before in a shootout and was tucked away behind the centre backs in the order of taking. His flew over and into the stands. Tears wee inevitable, and a shame for a player who has developed so well under Di Zerbi this season and been an exciting player in the Premier League amongst the top ten assisters.

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