BLADE Pedro treble with STUNNER
JOAO PEDRO stuck the knife into spirited Sheffield United with a deadly hat-trick as Brighton moved into the FA Cup fifth round.
The Brazilian forward joined the Seagulls in a club-record £30million arrival from Watford last summer and his treble took his tally for the campaign to 18.
It was a win fashioned in South America as Argentinian star Facundo Buonanotte opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a stunning left-foot shot which flew into the top corner from 25 yards.
It was his first FA Cup goal and Pedro made it 2-0 in the 29th minute after winning and then converting a penalty.
The Blades came back strongly and pulled a goal back through Gustavo Hamer before Will Osula’s header made it 2-2 on the stroke of half-time.
Roberto De Zerbi (below) and his men were not to be denied, though, as Pedro grabbed his second from the spot in the 52nd minute.
He then rifled home from 20 yards for his third – and Brighton’s fourth – before substitute Danny Welbeck added a late fifth.
Brighton’s patient, passing game quickly came to the fore and they always gave the inescapable impression they could move through the gears.
In the ninth minute, a typically neat move culminated in Evan Ferguson heading home from close range.
The visitors’ celebrations were soon ended by an offside flag but moments later, Ferguson went close with a blistering 20-yard strike which flew narrowly over Ivo Grbic’s crossbar.
Grbic was handed his debut by Blades boss Chris Wilder after arriving from Atletico Madrid earlier this week – but was soon picking the ball out of the net thanks to Buonanotte’s beauty.
The Argentina international, 19, collected 25 yards from goal and had the time and space to unleash a sizzling shot into the top corner.
Brighton doubled their advantage soon after. Pedro cleverly seized on to a neat pass and knocked the ball past Jayden Bogle inside the penalty box, forcing the United defender into a clumsy challenge.
The referee pointed to the spot and Pedro stepped up to rifle home. But Wilder’s men were back in the game when Hamer lashed home from close range. Then Osula was on hand to head home a rightwing cross from Bogle, sending Bramall Lane wild.
But Brighton regained control after the break as a handball from Bogle saw Pedro fire in from the spot. He showed his class again with a superb low right-foot shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards to confirm the Seagulls’ fifth-round spot.
There was still time for Welbeck to finish clinically late on, rifling in a low right-foot shot in front of the 3,000 travelling supporters.