AS Alexis Mac Allister continued to party with the World Cup winner’s medal back in Argentina, his Brighton teammates were dumped out of the Carabao Cup on penalties by League One Charlton.
Ashley Maynard-Brewer was the hero for the Addicks, saving from Moises Caicedo after the Seagulls had missed three of their own spot kicks following a goalless 90 minutes.
While Brighton’s other World Cup representatives were brought crashing back to earth at the Valley, Mac Allister was posting snaps of himself hugging Lionel Messi and showing his medal to family and friends back home.
Brighton’s exit will have hardly ruined his week but it will feel like a missed opportunity for the Seagulls, who wasted a bucket load of chances before losing out from the spot.
Solly March missed a sitter in normal time before blasting what would have been the winning penalty over the bar.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said: “We made a lot of mistakes in the last few metres.
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“We had match point with March but we made another mistake.
“When you make mistakes like this you have to lose the game.”
It was all smiles for Charlton, who are 18th in the third tier, as new manager Dean Holden watched on from the stands.
There may be fresh chaos off the pitch here, with supporters declaring they have no confidence in Danish owner Thomas Sandgaard, but there were raucous celebrations nonetheless as they reached the last eight of this tournament for the first time since 2007.
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Australian Maynard-Brewer said: “When full time went and it went to penalties I was quite relieved.
“It shows what this club is capable of, one of the big dogs in the next round would be unreal.”
Charlton sat deep early on but the only first-half chance from Brighton saw Adam Lallana send an effort onto the crossbar.
The hosts came out of their shell as Jack Payne drove forward and cut inside from the left before firing a low shot into the arms of Jason Steele.
Steele then had to put his body on the line after Levi Colwill and then Lewis Dunk both duffed passes back to their keeper, who had to rush out and was clattered by Charlton’s Miles Leaburn.
Dunk then had to scramble to make a last-ditch block from Steven Sessegnon.
The Seagulls gave Maynard-Brewer more to think about after the break, with Deniz Undav and Billy Gilmour both drawing saves.
Colwill then went close from Pascal Gross’ free-kick, his header just tipped over the bar.
March delivered the worst miss of the night, weaving through a sea of red shirts to give himself a one-on-one from six yards only to roll his effort wide.
Charlton continued to hang on, with Maynard-Brewer on hand again to tip substitute Leandro Trossard’s effort behind for a corner.
Crosses from both Pervis Estupinan and Tariq Lamptey both rolled across the six-yard box just needing a blue shirt to tap them in, but none came.
Brighton were just as wasteful from the spot. Gross and Trossard hit the bar and post either side of Charlton’s Jayden Stockley also hitting the woodwork.
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Jake Forster-Caskey and Evan Ferguson both converted before Steele saved from George Dobson and Rak-Sakyi, but March continued the comedy of errors, allowing Charlton back in.
Lamptey blasted his home as we entered sudden death but Maynard-Brewer denied Caicedo before Sam Lavelle fired home the winning spot kick for the Addicks.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
