Bristol Rovers 1-2 Brighton: Late Glenn Murray winner sees Brighton beat Bristol Rovers
- Published
Glenn Murray's late winner was his first goal of the season for Brighton
Brighton reached the Carabao Cup third round as Glenn Murray's stoppage-time goal saw them knock out League One Bristol Rovers with a 2-1 win after an entertaining second half.
The Premier League side made 11 changes after Saturday's loss to Southampton but they dominated possession and took a second-half lead when 19-year-old Aaron Connolly slotted in his first senior goal on his first start for the Seagulls.
Rovers struck back through Tom Nichols' expertly-struck half-volley and they threatened to pull off an upset as both teams pushed for a late winner.
But with the prospect of a penalty shootout imminent, Seagulls skipper Murray turned home the decisive blow from inside the six-yard box to send his side through.
The hosts' inspired keeper Anssi Jaakkola had produced several fine saves to keep them in the game, reacting well to stop Brighton debutant Adam Wesbter's far-post header and Murray's close-range effort.
Despite changing their entire starting XI, the Seagulls were still able to dominate possession and they thought they had a first-half lead, only for Murray's tap-in to be ruled out for offside.
They upped the tempo after half-time and were rewarded when Republic of Ireland youth international Connolly's poacher's finish gave them their breakthrough after a deflection helped the ball into his path.
Jaakkola also pulled off superb saves from Connolly and Huddersfield loanee Aaron Mooy - who was also making his first Brighton start - after the break.
The Seagulls gave a debut to centre-back Webster after his summer move from Rovers' local rivals Bristol City for a reported fee of £20m and he almost scored with a downward far-post header from a corner late on, but he was denied by Jaakkola's good reaction save.
Webster, 24, was strong in the air throughout but he was powerless to stop Nichols' equaliser, as the ball dropped nicely for the home side's lively forward on the edge of the area and he clinically swept the ball past David Button.
Rovers, who are 12th in League One, had been bidding for a fourth straight home win and their third victory at the Memorial Stadium in the space of seven days, and they rallied with spirit after that strike.
Brighton exited at this stage of the competition last season, at home to Premier League opposition in the Saints, and they may have feared another early exit this term after Nichols' stunner, but the FA Cup semi-finalists' superior quality eventually paid off in the dying moments.
Rovers, who beat Cheltenham 3-0 at home in the first round, were carved open and Murray was presented with a simple finish in front of Brighton's travelling supporters.
Bristol Rovers boss Graham Coughlan:
"We had to ride our luck. We knew we wouldn't see as much of the ball as we would normally do, but all-in-all it was a positive performance.
"In the last couple of minutes, we just miss-managed it a bit, but in our haste and our honesty, we went to try and win the game, and I can't fault the lads for trying to win the game against a Premier League team.
"At the end of the day, we lost the game of football. Losing hurts. I'm proud of the lads. They put their bodies on the line and if they carry on playing like that, they'll win more games than they lose."
Brighton boss Graham Potter:
"It was a really pleasing evening for us. It was a tough game - Bristol Rovers made it difficult for us - but the application and the effort from the players was really pleasing.
"Sometimes when a team is just coming together on the pitch for the first time it lacks that little bit of cohesion, but overall I'm happy for the players to get minutes and time, and we're happy to go through."
On Aaron Connolly, after the 19-year-old's first senior goal, Potter added: "He has got that knack of scoring, which is nice to have. He likes to run in behind and threaten the backline, playing on the shoulder. He's a young lad with a lot to learn of course but he's done really well with us in pre-season."