Newcastle United became the first Premier League side to exit the FA Cup this afternoon thanks to a 2-0 defeat away at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The hosting Championship outfit took the lead before the break through former Swansea City midfielder Andrea Orlandi, before substitute Will Hoskins secured their place in round four of the competition with a goal in the closing stages.
To make matters worse for the Magpies, they ended the match with 10 men following the dismissal of Shola Ameobi.
Below, Sports Mole has looked back over the action to determine whether or not visiting Newcastle can feel hard done by.
Match statistics:
Brighton:
Shots 6
On target 3
Possession 63%
Corners 4
Fouls 5
Newcastle:
Shots 8
On target 5
Possession 37%
Corners 3
Fouls 7
Was the result fair?
A quick scan over the statistics above, particularly where possession is concerned, will tell you that Brighton were worthy winners at The Amex. From the very first whistle they were bright, lively and at times played some very good football on the floor.
Brighton's performance
As mentioned above, Brighton's performance was a joy to watch. Gustavo Poyet has got his side playing some positive stuff, which had the Newcastle defence all over the place. However, what will also have pleased Poyet is the workrate that his side showed when they didn't have possession. They forced mistakes from Newcastle and more often than not got the ball back quickly.
Newcastle's performance
Having seen the side that Alan Pardew selected, there was little surprise in the display that they produced today. They looked like a bunch of strangers, particularly in the first half when their one and only tactic appeared to be to try to find Shola Ameobi in the area with a lofted pass. The sooner the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa return from injury, the better.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Liam Bridcutt: The midfielder epitomised everything that was good about Brighton today. He covered every blade of grass and won numerous tackles. Then, we had the ball at his feet, he rarely wasted possession. Any watching Premier League scouts would have been impressed with the 23-year-old.
Biggest gaffe
He may have only been on the pitch a matter of minutes, but Nile Ranger should have done better with a volleyed effort early in the second half. The ball dropped to the Newcastle substitute eight yards from goal, but he shot way, way over the crossbar.
Referee performance
The big decision Lee Probert made in this match was the one to send off Shola Ameobi for two bookable offences. Arguably both were soft, but by the letter of the law the Newcastle captain had to go. To be fair to the referee, he had a good match overall.
What next?
Brighton: Next Saturday the Seagulls return to league action when Derby County visit The Amex.
Newcastle: The Magpies face a crucial trip to Norwich City next Saturday with three Premier League points on offer.
Liam Apicella
