The media review: Grimsby Town

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How the papers and websites reported Sunday's FA Cup win.

Nick Szczepanik

2023-03-20T10:42:00Z

Evan Ferguson scored twice in the 5-0 win over Grimsby Town.

Five goals without reply, the magic of the world’s oldest football competition, and hundreds of inflatable fish: it was all there to some extent in the reports of the FA Cup quarter-final victory over Grimsby Town which put Albion within one game from the final.

As the Amex partied like it was 1983, Mike Walters of the Daily Mirror called up the memories, writing: “Dust down Jimmy Melia's white dancing shoes, close your eyes and, 40 years on, Gordon Smith still must score... and he doesn't.

“Brighton are 90 minutes from only their second FA Cup final after living up to Eric Cantona's famous twaddle about Seagulls following the Mariners' trawler because they expect easy pickings.

“King Eric knew his sardines from his mackerel and, as expected, Roberto De Zerbi's stylish, swashbuckling Albion were simply too good for Grimsby, the first team from League Two to reach the quarter-finals since Cambridge in 1990. The dream of Grimsby playing in Europe and landing an exotic tie with their Croatian 'sister' club Haddock Split, will have to wait for another day.

“But after beating five teams from a higher division on their slalom to the last eight – a record – their trawler was holed below the waterline almost before it had left harbour this time. Brighton knocked the ball around like croupiers distributing cards in a casino. Fittingly, a real flock of seagulls took time off from nicking tourists' chips on the promenade to venture inland to drop in on the Amex for a better view.

“Even the most amateur twitcher can forecast an even bigger flock descending on Wembley next month. Brighton for the Cup? Why not?”

Jim White of the Daily Telegraph brought the reminiscences slightly more up to date. “Four years after their last FA Cup semi-final, Brighton are returning to Wembley,” he wrote. “And if their owner Tony Bloom follows the course of his betting at the Cheltenham Festival, bookmakers on the south coast will be quivering at the very thought.

“Bloom won £830,000 backing his own horse Energumene on Wednesday, and there is a real chance they will be paying out again in June if Brighton finally win the first trophy in their history. As Paul Hurst, the manager of Grimsby Town, noted of Brighton after his team had just been overwhelmed by Roberto De Zerbi’s side: ‘People really need to keep an eye on this club. They are going places.’

“Serving a second touchline ban, De Zerbi watched from a box. ‘Two games in the stand,’ he said. ‘We have won one 4-0 and one 5-0. So maybe it is better I get a season ticket.’

“From up there, he had a fine view of what a team he has developed. Astonishingly, since they lost not only their three strongest players but also their manager and recruitment department in the summer, Brighton have only got better.

“Everyone appears to have improved under De Zerbi. And that is saying something, given, in Alexis Mac Allister, they have a World Cup winner. Nobody seems to have benefited more from the manager’s attention than Solly March, who was man of the match here and scored with a glorious diving header.

“Grimsby were restricted to just two chances, the air seeping rapidly from their inflatable haddocks. Brighton ended up looking what they are: one of the teams of the season.”

Amex regular Kieran Gill of the Daily Mail ranged beyond the stadium itself for his report. “Brighton is now back in the hands of the locals but for a few hours on Sunday, something fishy happened as this city by the seaside fell to an invasion of Harry Haddocks,” he wrote.

“Grimsby supporters went everywhere with their inflatable friends, the League Two club's shop having sold 3,000 for this trip. They descended on the Lanes, they took over the pubs, they commandeered Brighton Pier, which was awash with black and white striped shirts. Grimsby's fans were determined to enjoy their day, wary that this was likely to be the end of their FA Cup journey, given they were facing a team positioned 76 places above them.

“That turned out to be true, with Brighton mercilessly sticking a pin in their Harry Haddocks. Two goals from 18-year-old talent Evan Ferguson and the others from Deniz Undav, Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma secured them this five-star win. They will now move on to the semi- finals at Wembley Stadium, Roberto De Zerbi having shown his intent with a no-nonsense starting line-up on Sunday.

“De Zerbi, serving a touchline suspension for this tie, fielded a team full of Premier League regulars. That included a chap who helped Lionel Messi win the 2022 World Cup, and a bloke who was subject to a £70million bid from Arsenal in the winter window.

“But that only summed up the beauty of the FA Cup. Alexis Mac Allister may be a world champion, but if he wanted to win here, he had to overcome Gavan Holohan in midfield. Moises Caicedo may be a wanted man, but to reach Wembley, he had to outplay Kieran Green.”

Henry Winter of The Times insisted that “Grimsby simply ran into in-form Premier League opponents who were simply so much better. Brighton moved the ball quicker, they finished clinically, and deservedly head to Wembley in the semi-finals.

“If much of the focus was on Grimsby, Brighton had their own mission, especially on the 40th anniversary of their FA Cup final loss to Manchester United. So they were committed and concentrated, supremely professional as they saw off Grimsby. A series of quick flicks from Pervis Estupinan to Moises Caicedo to Lewis Dunk worked the ball swiftly around Town players and showed their superior class.

“Brighton were simply too quick for Grimsby. Deniz Undav poached the opener well, and then the hugely promising Evan Ferguson struck twice, right foot, then left, to kill off the visitors. The late goals from the outstanding Solly March and a Luke Waterfall own goal delighted Brighton fans further, although nothing could stop the visitors singing.

“Even when Premier League class told early, and Undav pounced after five minutes, Grimsby spirits’ did not ebb. For this has been a Cup run that will never be forgotten. This was just a challenge too far. Brighton could be heading to Europe via the Premier League; they are in such good form.

“Caicedo took the pass from Gross and shot from 20 yards. Max Crocombe dropped to meet the ball, pushing it away but only towards Undav. Grimsby had switched off, focusing on the first shot, and none of Hurst’s players had followed Undav. He quickly turned the ball back past Crocombe and in.

“Ferguson is not quite one of Brighton’s own, having been nurtured at St Kevin’s Boys in Dublin and then Bohemians before joining Brighton’s academy in 2021.

“The 18-year-old demonstrated in the second half why he was so sought after, and why Brighton’s recruitment is so admired. Five minutes after the restart, Alexis Mac Allister, treating the FA Cup with all the respect he dealt with the World Cup, dinked the ball in. Ferguson athletically controlled the ball with his left, teed up the shot with his right and then finished with his right.

“After 69 minutes, Mac Allister again pulled the strings, finding Undav who released Ferguson. This time it was three touches with his left foot that did the damage, the final one placing the ball past Crocombe. Ferguson hardly celebrated. Like the balls from Mac Allister and Undav, he took it in his stride.”

In The Guardian, David Hytner reflected on the fact that most of the build-up to the match had focused on the visitors from League Two. “It was a romantic story, one to fire the dreams of a club and a town – just not the one that the neutrals had wanted. This FA Cup quarter-final was set up for Grimsby to make history, to become the first club from the fourth tier to reach the last four of the competition.

“Instead, it was Brighton that advanced – as was always going to be the case; 99 times out of 100, anyway – Roberto De Zerbi’s team penning the latest chapter of their fantastic season to ensure that the puns focused on seagulls feasting on fish.

“It was a step too far, Brighton too strong as they advanced to only the third cup semi-final of their history. 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson scored twice to supplement Deniz Undav’s early opener. Solly March and Kaoru Mitoma completed the rout and the truth was that the scoreline could have been heavier.

“Brighton have done so much this season, sitting seventh in the Premier League – on course for their best finish and points tally. They want European football for the first time and, also, a first major trophy. It is now about what they do next. Could they go one better than they did in the 1983 FA Cup final when they lost against Manchester United after a replay?

“Brighton are a much bigger fish than Southampton these days and, if their line-up was imposing, then so was their start, Undav scoring on six minutes after the goalkeeper, Maxime Crocombe, could only parry a Moisés Caicedo blast.

“The Grimsby manager knew what the order of the day would be, especially with Pascal Gross stepping forward when Brighton had the ball (which was often) to become an auxiliary inside or outside right.

“In the second period, Brighton added a more clinical edge to their possession, Ferguson’s first goal extremely tidy. He pulled down a chipped pass from Alexis Mac Allister before taking another touch and finishing while his second was good, too, a run and cool shot following an Undav ball. He has seven goals for the season.

“March’s goal was a fine header from Webster’s ball into the area while Mitoma, a menace with his quick feet and acceleration, would benefit from a big deflection.”

“Grimsby merely wanted one moment in front of goal to go their way but it did not happen, despite the best efforts of the substitute, John McAtee. He was denied at close quarters by Sanchez and also saw the goalkeeper push away a curling shot from him late on.

In The Sun, Jack Rosser wrote that “Brighton punctured the dreams of Harry Haddock-wielding Grimsby fans as the Seagulls picked off the minnows to reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

“The Mariners’ inflatable mascots won’t be making a Wembley appearance next month, as Roberto De Zerbi's five-star men continued their superb season. Deniz Undav put an early end to any fanciful Grimsby dreams after just six minutes and youngster Evan Ferguson sealed their place in the last with a smart second-half double.

“Solly March celebrated a new deal this week by crowning the afternoon with his eighth goal of the season, before Kaoru Mitoma netted in the final minute.

“‘We only sing when we’re fishing’ was the chant from the Grimsby fans before kick-off, but there was little hope of the Mariners returning with a memorable haul here. And Brighton had them on the hook from the off.

“It was open season as Mitoma's hopeful effort deflected off Mariners captain Luke Waterfall in the final minute - the Japanese international bending another wide of the post moments later. De Zerbi is determined to make history at Brighton in the league and cup this season and now they are just one game away from a shot at a first ever major trophy.”