Ironside has too much steel
WBA 1 Brighton 2 (AET)
GRAHAM POTTER would love a trip to Wembley so he was a happy man when his Brighton side recovered against 10-man West Brom.
The Seagulls have never won the FA Cup and that barren run looked set to continue when Callum Robinson put the Baggies in front.
But Cedric Kipre was sent off on 69 minutes for the home side. Sub Jakub Moder equalised late on before Neal Maupay (below) won the game in extra time for the Seagulls.
Potter said:
“We’ll try to have a good cup run. It was important for us to go through.”
Baggies boss Valerien Ismael viewed Kipre’s rash moment as the deciding factor.
He said: “Until the red card, it was a great performance.”
JOE IRONSIDE inflicted one of the most humiliating FA Cup defeats in Newcastle United’s history. Supposedly now the richest club in the world, they were smashed by the team who are 16th in League One. Cambridge produced a heroic performance against a disjointed, dispirited Eddie Howe side.
From striker Ironside to keeper Dimitar Mitov and every battling man in yellow in between, this was a major shock.
United coach Mark Bonner masterminded a brilliant, committed display, as hungry and aggressive as Newcastle were disinterested.
Defeat represents a fresh low point, puncturing the Tyneside optimism and heaping scrutiny on Howe, who has only managed one win in his nine games in charge.
By the 70th minute new signing Kieran Trippier was swearing and cursing to himself.the England international has swapped the La Liga champions and the last 16 of the Champions League for this listless shambles.
Saudi Public Investment Fund boss Yasir Al-rumayyan was in the executive box seeing for himself the weaknesses in the squad he paid £305million to buy.
It was hardly the advertisement Newcastle needed as they try to splash tens of millions this month and sign elite players for their Premier League relegation battle.
Middlesbrough lad Ironside became Cambridge’s hero with his first FA Cup goal in the 56th minute.
The journeyman striker, 28, smashed home from six yards out after a scramble in the area.
Ironside was a major handful all game, with Fabian Schar and Emile Krafth given a working over by his physicality.
It took a three-and-a-half-minute VAR check to allow the strike, with two Cambridge players looking offside on the freeze-frame.
Ironside said: “I got to play here and it is the stuff I dreamed of.alan
Shearer was my hero. I grew up idolising him, now I have scored the winner at St James’ Park.we have all dug in together and it is a momentous day for the club.”
Without the injured Callumwilson up front, the home side lacked coherence in attack, though Mitov excelled.
His saves included a stunning injury-time stop from Joelinton and Mitov said: “It is unbelievable what we just did today but we always knew we had nothing to lose.
“We need to be the best version of ourselves and that is what we did.we always had that belief – look at how many supporters have come, we sold out.what a way to start the year.
“It is not quite down to me – if we don’t score we don’t win the game. But I am really happy.this is why we play football, to play against the Premier League teams.”
Cambridge coach Bonner, 36, said: “There is always a fairytale and an upset in this competition.we always hoped it would be us.
“We rode our luck at times but the goalkeeper was outstanding.the fact we kept a clean sheet is a major result for the team and a great day out for the supporters too.
“We have to make sure we keep growing and progressing this season. We have a game Tuesday, so we crack on and get ready for that, but these are moments we never forget because you don’t know how long until you can enjoy the next one.”