Newport County vs Brighton, FA Cup third round: live score and latest updates

We are halfway into four minutes of added time. Brighton just need to be sensible. 

Tough for Newport to concede so late, but that was coming on the balance of play in these last 20 minutes. March takes responsibility from around 22 yards out, shifting the ball onto his left peg and curling a shot around the defender into the bottom corner. 

Steele does well to catch another Newport long throw. 

Brighton worked the ball out to March on the left flank but his first-time cross was straight down King’s throat. Newport getting closer to extra time. 

Newport managed to get out and win a corner. The clearance by Bissouma was scuffed but the left-back Haynes failed to keep his shot down with his weaker right foot. 

White fizzed a ball into the feet of Tau in the box and he swivels, but his shot is too close to King. Newport starting to feel t in their legs now, Brighton dominating territory. 

Newport’s turn to have a chance! A cross comes in from the right and ball gets stuck under the legs of Webster, but a Taylor digs it out and Sheehan arrives with a well struck shot that Steele saves low. Brightin survive. 

Maupay let the ball run in the penalty area and Gross tried to find him with a return pass, but it was cut out. All a little too congested and intricate from Brighton. 

Brighton are really turning the screw now. Tau knocks the ball down with his head for Maupay but his shot takes a slight deflection and fizzes wide of the far post. Then Newport get the faintest of headers on the resulting cross from a short corner, just as it seemed Maupay was about to nod home. 

A dribble full of menace down the right from Tau, nice work from Bissouma in midfield but then March cracks a shot over the bar from 25 yards. The ball just sat up on him. 

I‘m not sure March was going for goal there but King needed to tip that cross over the bar. I think it was sneaking in the top corner at his near post. Brighton fail to make the corner pay. 

Labadie thought he was through on goal after pinching the ball from Bissouma but the referee Lee Mason gave a foul. That was good pressing and intent from Newport though. Can they fashion one more chance?

Oh so close for Brighton. White gets down the right again and whips a cross in. Dunk went down claiming a penalty but it ran on through to Propper and he drilled a left-footed shot inches wide of the post. Tau is about come on for Brighton, the South African who spent last season on loan at Brugge. 

Potter will be worried about two of his key players. Webster landed gingerly after an aerial challenge, and while in mid-air he caught the side of Bissouma’s head a glancing blow with his knee. A nasty one, that. The midfielder is sitting up while he is assessed. 

Ben White is a player with oodles of ability. This time he drives forward and nutmegs Haynes, but he takes on a silly shot from a tight angle that flies over the bar. 

Newport with a fluid move that released Haynes into acres of space down the left, but he tried to cross early for Amond when he had time to drive into the box. Webster was there to cut it out. 

Newport load the penalty area for successive long throws from Demetriou but Brighton have plenty of height across their back three and deal with danger. 

Ben White with another decent delivery from the right but Zeqiri glances the header over the bar. 

Sheehan with a good challenge on Maupay on the edge of his box, then he gets forward to support the attack and wins a foul from White. Really good midfield play from the Newport man. Dolan is going to pump this one into the penalty area towards Longe-King but Brighton deal with it well. 

Positive play once again from Newport and Devitt but he dragged his shot wide from 25 yards or so. 

Some bustling from Newport high up the pitch but they are penalised for a foul close to the corner flag.  Then they work a nice position after an Amond flick on but Haynes tries one trick too many in the box and fails to find the telling pass. 

Surely some goals are on the way in the second period.

We gave Newport the big billing before the game due to their recent cup record and they have not disappointed!

Brighton have had the better of the game no doubt, but you’d have to say Newport have equally as good chances. Amond is impressing once again in a cup tie. 

What a passage of play and another chance goes begging for Amond. It was a long straight ball forward that caught out Steele in the Brighton goal. He came rushing of his line but the spin of the ball sold him short, and Amond won the the 50:50 and shot on the turn towards the empty net…just as it looked destined for the net Dunk got back to hook the ball off the line. 

An injury blow for Newport – Willmott is forced off with a muscular injury and Labadie will be on to replace him. Not nice for a player to have their evening cut short on an occasion like this. 

All getting a bit last ditch for Newport in the last few minute but King is keeping Brighton at bay. First, an excellent save to deny Zeqiri from close range and the Brighton man’s scissored volley, then a low save from a glancing header. 

Brighton getting closer. White with a threatening cross from the right and the defensive header dropped to Mac Allister in a central position but his well-struck shot was straight at King. Either side and it would have been a goal. 

Newport’s coaching staff are barking out orders to try and get their unit to shut down Brighton’s passing from the back. They were not happy that Dunk was allowed to pick a pass too easily. Brighton have not really clicked in the final third but do have a corner now…and Dunk met it with a powerful header that King pushed around the post. 

Willmott got himself into a great position down Newport’s right but Webster cut out his pull back from the by-line. At the other end Dunk tries to float a diagonal towards Jahanbakhsh but it was a little too strong. 

Newport having to a do a lot of defending in the last few minutes, dropping in to a back five. They are standing firm though. Bissouma is down after being caught with an arm, but nothing too serious. 72 per cent of possession for Brighton thus far. 

Newport threatening again down their left hand-side but an over-hit cross goes out for a goal kick. They are almost through 20 minutes of this game unscathed. 

Newport playing quite direct but Dunk, White and Webster are adjusting their positions after that early scare that led to Amond’s chance. The Brighton defenders are starting to read those long balls, dropping early and sweeping up. Longe-King with a good block to stop a cross from Zeqiri. Then Bissouma tests King with a shot from range. 

Bissouma is threatening to run this game from the middle of the park. March is having a good battle with the Newport left wing-back Shephard and swings a good cross in that is headed away under pressure. 

Sheehan with a nice turn in midfield and wins a foul for Newport. He wears the No 10 shirt and looks one of their better technical players. Nice driving run from Bissouma but Brighton’s delivery from both right and left flank is found wanting. 

Brighton seeing most of the ball hut Amond is buzzing around like a right pest up top for Newport. Those defenders cannot afford to dally on the ball with him around. 

What a good chance for Amond and Newport in the inside left channel! Dunk got himself in a tangle trying to nudge the ball back to his goalkeeper and did not get enough on it. Amond raced through and tried to curl the ball into the far corner with his right instep, think Thierry Henry’s trademark, but it whistled fractionally wide. 

It looks like Zeqiri is starting through the middle in the Brighton forward line with Maupay on the left. The playing surface is discoloured in places but the ball looks to be running alright. One to keep an eye on as the game progresses. To be honest, an iffy pitch makes for a cup tie.

Brighton get us going on a patchy pitch at Rodney Parade.

Ben White, Tariq Lamptey, Lewis Dunk and Yves Bissouma all in the XI. 

Newport going through some quick-step routines to keep themselves warm on a freezing night in South Wales. 

“We’ve gone out there on occasions such as this, sensing the opportunity of what it could for the finances. We aren’t silly. It’s a motivating concept, playing for the club’s existence. It hasn’t been handed to us by some rich benefactor. We’ve earned those millions on the pitch and that is very satisfying and inspiring to a group of players. Before I joined Newport, I was told they’d only reached the third round once in the previous 30 years. Now we’ve been there — minimum — four seasons in a row. Who knows, we get a win over Brighton and it might mean we can buy the player who can take us that next step in this campaign and get that promotion. Why not? Something like that happened with me coming here.”

Newport: King, Bennett, Longe-King, Demetriou, Shephard, Sheehan, Dolan, Haynes, Devitt, Willmott, Amond

Brighton: Steele, White, Webster, Dunk, Bissouma, Maupay, Mac Allister, Gross, Jahanbakhsh, March, Zeqiri

You may have noticed the name Zeqiri in the Brighton team – I’m assured he is no relation. He is left-footed for one thing, which I can’t say for anyone in the family. 

If you were scanning the fixture list for potential FA Cup shocks this weekend, then Brighton’s trip to Newport County will have caught the eye. 

Brighton are one place above the relegation zone in the Premier League and enduring a winless run despite the decent standard of their general performances. Scoring goals has been an issue, and improving results in the league will surely be Graham Potter’s priority. Brighton did reach the FA Cup semi-final two seasons ago under Chris Hughton when they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City. That was the same season Potter’s Swansea almost knocked City out in the previous round. 

Mike Flynn’s Newport have a deserved reputation as FA Cup specialists though. They have reached the third round for the fourth successive season, and reached the last-16 in 2019 by knocking out Leicester City and Middlesbrough. The year before that, Newport beat Leeds United and took a Tottenham team featuring the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son to a replay. 

“I think every time the boys have risen to the occasion,” Flynn said, with Newport coming into this game after a tough run of league results.

“They have not been startled or on the back foot. They have been on the front foot, they have been up for it, they have raised their game and shown they are good players.”

Potter said: “They’ve done brilliantly in terms of their cup record and Michael has done a fantastic job there considering where they were when he took over and where they are now.

“They’ve used the cup runs really well to develop the team. Even this season, in the Carabao Cup they had some impressive performances and results, so they have that history and identity and it’s a challenge for us, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Team news on the way shortly.