Graham Potter satisfied as Brighton reach third round with win at Forest Green

Posted Thursday, August 25, 2022 by PA

Graham Potter declared it was job done after Brighton’s win at Forest Green.

Deniz Undav, Steven Alzate and Evan Ferguson struck to seal a 3-0 victory and book a Carabao Cup third round tie at Arsenal in November.

Potter made 11 changes from Sunday’s 2-0 win at West Ham – handing first starts to Undav and Levi Colwill – and they were made to work by their League One hosts.

Jason Steele thwarted Josh March and Kyle McAllister but two goals in seven first-half minutes at the New Lawn ultimately won the tie for the Seagulls.

Potter said: “I wouldn’t say it was comfortable, the scoreline appears that way but the game was a tight game. Credit to Forest Green, they played well in the second half and pushed us back.

“If Forest Green score (early in the second half) it would have made it a lot more difficult for us. We had a chance with Deniz to make it 3-0 a bit earlier, if we score that we kill it off but we’re happy.

“The period we are in with the game in London on Sunday, some of these guys need some game time, otherwise it’s really unfair for them to go into the Premier League having not played for five or six weeks.”

Undav hit the post with a neat flick from Julio Enciso’s corner after 27 minutes but Brighton rarely looked like breaking down composed Rovers.

They took 38 minutes to find a breakthrough when Undav got in behind for the first time to rifle past Luke McGee.

Then, in first half injury time, Alzate scored his first goal for 18 months when he drilled into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

It was harsh on Rovers and they came close to pulling a goal back when Steele denied March just after the break.

Undav headed an excellent chance wide soon after and Steele saved from McAllister with four minutes left.

Ferguson then added a third in injury time when he squeezed the ball past McGee from close range.

Rovers boss Ian Burchnall, who replaced Potter at Ostersunds in 2018, said: “I hope maybe Graham would even say that last goal flattered them a little bit given our second-half performance.

“We started on the front foot but then lost our path a bit and gave them too much respect. The second goal was a killer, if we went in at 1-0 then we had a chance.

“In the second half we played some really good stuff and created two or three really good chances. It’s always tough when you don’t get that goal and the longer the game goes on you are vulnerable to a goal like they got at the end.”