LIAM BRIDCUTT swooped for a sensational first senior goal to grab league leaders Brighton a 94th-minute winner against demoralised Carlisle.
Sunday People
03:05, 11 Feb 2013Updated 06:46, 11 Feb 2013
LIAM BRIDCUTT swooped for a sensational first senior goal to grab league leaders Brighton a 94th-minute winner against demoralised Carlisle.
The ex-Chelsea midfielder couldn’t compete with the continental crowd as a kid at Stamford Bridge, but he is flying high with the Seagulls – who are now four points clear at the top.
After watching his side leave it late to win this seven-goal thriller, Brighton boss Gus Poyet said: “I’ve just had my first heart attack – I really don’t like these games.
“But great credit to all the players for showing the character to keep on going right until the end.
“It was some strike by Liam, especially with his left foot. We’ve tried a few things with him in training and he’s never gone close. It was his first goal in professional football and we hope it’s not his last.”
The Seagulls had to come from behind against bogey side Carlisle – the last team to beat them at the Withdean Stadium back in April.
It looked like striker Ashley Barnes would be the hero with two goals in 10 minutes – making it 16 for the season – to give Brighton a 3-2 lead.
But pinball defending allowed Carlisle sub Harry Arter – signed on loan from Brighton’s promotion rivals Bournemouth – to lash the ball into the top-right corner on 92 minutes.
Deflated Brighton looked all set to drop two precious points, but 21-year-old Bridcutt came from nowhere to bend an 18-yard drive inside the right post to signal ecstatic celebrations.
The Seagulls began sluggishly, failing to clear a Carlisle corner on three minutes, which Tom Taiwo smashed back into the net.
But Brighton kept their heads up and a clever chip from Barnes sent Glenn Murray accelerating down the right, past Peter Murphy, to bury a 23rd-minute equaliser.
Hesitant
Murray also hit the bar, before Bridcutt played Barnes in to give Brighton a 2-1 lead on 53 minutes.
Carlisle sub Ben Marshall, on loan from Stoke, jigged his way past a hesitant home defence to clip a fine 60th-minute leveller. But Brighton got in front again when Barnes hit a shot in off the left post. However, this topsy-turvy tussle was far from over.
Marcos Painter decorated the game with some slick passing and Inigo Calderon tried to get Brighton going down the right.
But mid-table Carlisle held firm and believed they had stolen a late point through Arter’s last-gasp strike.
Bridcutt, however, had other ideas and condemned the Cumbrians to a heartbreaking defeat and a miserable 370-mile journey back home empty handed.