Brighton 2 – Crystal Palace 1: Seagulls into FA Cup fourth round after VAR confusion

You do not need new technology with an old warhorse around. Glenn Murray earned Brighton a place on the fourth-round of the FA Cup with a goal just three minutes from time at the Amex Stadium.

In the end, after all the palaver, the Video Assistant Referee system was not even needed.

A blunder by Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey handed Dale Stephens a first-half goal for Brighton but Roy Hodgson’s team thought they had earned another shot at reaching the fourth round when Bakary Sako crashed in a glory goal from 35 yards.

A replay nobody wanted, with both teams battling against relegation, was finally avoided when Murray, at 34 and a former Palace player, bundled in Uwe Heunemeier’s header.

“It wasn’t my arm, I think the VAR would have pulled me back if it was,” Murray said.

“I think I got my hip or my knee on it. As soon as I did it, I knew it was not my arm, no doubt from me.”

VAR was used in a competitive game for the first time in England. But the poor old video screen on the touchline remained forlorn and unused. It would not have been a surprise if the video team watching proceedings back at HQ in West Drayton actually nodded off at times – certainly until the final few frantic minutes.

Never mind the prospect of a fourth-round tie at Middlesbrough awaiting the winners, this was history down on the South Coast, whatever happened.

For the first time in a competitive game in English football, the VAR was in use. Already up and running in the MLS, the Bundisliga and Serie A, the system received its first trial last night in the cup at the chilly Amex.

Referee Andre Marriner’s every move was monitored by the VAR team, lurking just to the left of the dug outs was the little screen in the Referee Review Area (the RRA) where Marriner could review his decisions if necessary, all of it monitored by the assistant video referee Neil Swarbrick with his bank of screens back in London.

There did not seem to be much excitement about it at all at the Amex, with plenty of empty seats at kick-off. For both these teams, Premier League survival was pressing than the FA Cup, or any bit of tricky technological history.

Bitter rivals of old, they drew 0-0 at the Amex in November.

Palace under wily old Roy Hodgson had lost only one of their last 11 games, in the process climbing from bottom of the table to 14th place. They made four changes. Chris Hughton’s Albion, drawing too many games to be comfortable, had won only one of their last 11. Eight changes for them.

Hughton’s team started better though, as Solly March and then Tamer Hemed saw headers saved by Wayne Hennessey.

Palace’s lively lone striker Sako did cause alarm though when his break saw him fire in a low shot that Brighton goalkeeper Tim Krul had to smartly block.

But it was Albion who broke the deadlock, thanks to a series of sloppy Palace errors. Ezequiel Schelotto crossed from the right, Yohan Cabaye failed to cut the ball out and Dale Stephens picked it up to stride into the area.

The Seagulls captain still had plenty to do from there but his low shot should not have beaten Wakes goalkeeper Hennessey at his near post and fizzed into the net. Hodgson shook his head. No need for technology on that one.

Palace were more adventurous after the break but it was Brighton who still looked more likely to add to their opening goal.

Last season, on their way to promotion, Hughton’s side suffered the indignity of being knocked out in the fourth round by non-League Lincoln. Last night, there was little of that romance or drama.

Hemed almost grabbed a second for Brighton with a shot on the turn that was deflected just wide and Huenemeier nodded over, but it was tame stuff.

Then, out of the blue, Palace were level. Sako picked up a loose ball some 35 yards out, took aim and fired a glorious swerving drive past Krul and in off the far post.

It was the Malian international’s fifth goal of the season – and it jolted Brighton out of their air of comfort. Two minutes later he could have had a second, as his drive hit the side netting.

Stung, Brighton responded and should have gone ahead again. Sam Baldock’s curling shot from the edge of the box bounced back off the post, and when Palace failed to clear, Solly March set up Beral Kayal 10 yards out but he blazed wildly over the bar.

Hemed then had his shot saved and Baldock raced through, only to drive over the bar.

But Brighton finally got their goal, when Hunemeier’s looping header – which looked destined for the far post – was brushed into the net by the knee of Murray.

Brighton (4-4-1-1): Krul; Schelotto, Huenemeier, Goldson, Bong; Brown (Baldock 7), Stephens, Kayal, Izquierdo; March; Hemed. Goals: Stephens 25.

Crystal Palace (4-2-3-1): Hennessey; Fosu-Mensah, Kelly, Delaney, Van Aanholt; McArthur, Riedewald; Townsend, Cabaye, Schlupp (Souare 14); Sako.

Referee: A Marriner (Birmingham).