Key events
75 min: Rutter hobbles off awkwardly, in some pain, to be replaced by Gruda. Then the corner’s taken, and it’s a non-event.
74 min: Before it can be taken, Rutter requires some treatment, having caught his studs in the turf while attempting a turn. He doesn’t look comfortable. An enforced change coming up, minutes after Brighton made two big swaps up front.
72 min: Gibbs-White drives down the inside-left channel before slipping a pass to Elanga, who attempts to flick home from the left-hand corner of the six-yard box. Verbruggen stands firm to block and turn the ball around the post for a corner.
71 min: It’s Brighton’s turn to make a double change. Welbeck and Mitoma are replaced by Joao Pedro and Adingra.
70 min: That’s got the crowd going all right. Forest and Nuno the pantomime villains right now.
68 min: The Yates claim has been double-checked as well, and while Webster brushed his opponent, there wasn’t any serious contact. Nuno and his assistants are livid, and tell it as they see it, with some feeling. The fourth official isn’t moved. All of that seems about right.
VAR: No penalty
66 min: The referee performs the TV-screen mime, then announces that there’s been “no foul committed by the defender, the restart is a dropped ball to the goalkeeper.” It’s the right call. Anderson pulled the ball back as Mitoma slid across him, and then stood on the Brighton man’s arm before going over.
65 min: Anderson appeared to step on the sliding Mitoma’s arm … and the VAR has asked the referee to go over to the screen and look at this again. This should be overturned.
Penalty to Forest
63 min: Elanga curls the resulting free kick into the mixer. Verbruggen punches clear. Yates goes down and wants a penalty. The referee isn’t interested. As play goes on, Anderson tries to skin Mitoma down the right, entering the box along the byline. There’s contact, and Anderson goes over. The referee’s happy to award this one. Brighton livid!
62 min: The first booking of the evening as Estupinan slides in recklessly on Dominguez. It wasn’t the best challenge, even if he did slip a little going into it. Quite a lot of force, and he can have no complaints. Thankfully Dominguez is back up again soon enough, and nobody’s made a big deal of it.
61 min: Forest make a double change, replacing Awoniyi and Danilo with their rested dangermen Elanga and Hudson-Odoi.
60 min: A break in play so Minteh and Ayari can break their Ramadan-observing fast. A chance for both managers to issue some tactical advice as well.
58 min: Mitoma one-twos his way down the left with Ayari, before hitting a cross-cum-shot that nearly falls to Minteh, rushing in from the right. Not quite. This is so much better from Brighton, though. Fabian Hürzeler must have given them the what-for at half-time.
56 min: … Hinshelwood meets Estupinan’s delivery from the right by flashing a header wide left. He should have left it for Van Hecke, just behind him and facing the correct way.
55 min: Aina bundles an in-flight Mitoma to the floor. A free kick just to the left of centre. Everyone lines up on the edge of the Forest box. Ayari floats it towards Van Hecke at the far stick. Van Hecke prepares to nod goalwards but Yates gets in the way to deflect the ball out for a corner. And from that …
54 min: A long pass down the Forest left. Awoniyi barges Van Hecke out of the road with great feeling, but isn’t able to burst clear into the box. Nothing comes of the move, which is probably just as well because the Brighton fans were seriously displeased with the challenge. File it under old-fashioned.
52 min: Minteh turns on the jets and attempts to burn his way past Williams on the right. He nearly wins the duel as the pair enter the Forest box, but Williams holds his line and goes over the minute he feels contact from behind. Free kick, pressure over. But there’s another example of Brighton having upped the tempo. Just as our friend Kári Tulinius called for.
51 min: Now Mitoma crosses from the left but it’s easy pickings for Sels. There’s already been more action in the first five minutes of the second half than there was in the entirety of the first.
49 min: Forest go up the other end, Danilo and Awoniyi combining well down the left before the ball’s cut back to Gibbs-White, who sends a drive straight at Verbruggen. It might be going over, but the keeper tips over the bar anyway, just in case. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
47 min: … Brighton go close. Ayari’s delivery is half cleared. Mitoma returns the ball to Ayari, who finds Rutter just inside the box. Rutter spins and lashes a rising shot from a tight angle on the left inches over the bar. Had that been on target, Sels would have needed a strong hand to keep that out.
46 min: Brighton already look more energised. Baleba and Welbeck combine down the inside-left channel to win the first corner of the second half. From which …
Brighton get the second half underway. No changes. “So far, the match has mostly been played at walking pace, which suits Nottingham much better than Brighton,” suggests Kári Tulinius. “If the Seagulls can’t figure out how to up the tempo, they will continue to struggle for space. They’ll need a moment of genius, or eventually Forest will score a goal from a set piece or a counter-attack.”
Looks like the lens of the expensive-looking goalside camera bothered by Baleba’s powerful drive has been sheared clean off. Pity the poor photographer, who is nevertheless having a wry chortle about his misfortune with a pal, a piece in each hand. At least he shouldn’t have any problem processing his insurance claim, everything was captured live on national television. There are witnesses.
Half-time cup-themed entertainment. Courtesy of the newly crowned SJA columnist of the year and popular culture commentator of the year. We spoil you.
HALF TIME: Brighton 0-0 Nottingham Forest
Onwards and upwards.
45 min: Anderson’s half clearance is met by Baleba, who chests down and from the edge of the D, creams a shot inches wide of the right-hand post. The ball smashes into a camera, sending it flying and possibly necessitating some repairs. The nearest either team has come to a goal.
44 min: Mitoma hangs a leg across Dominguez and steps on his toe. Nuno not happy. Still a little residual annoyance from September’s brouhaha.
42 min: Minteh curls long from the right. Sels claims an awkward ball at the far stick with Mitoma lurking.
41 min: That was some proper alpha defending from Milenkovic, who took control of what momentarily looked a dangerous situation. Mitoma held off with ease.
39 min: Rutter drops deep, swivels in the centre circle, and wedges a glorious pass down the middle to release Mitoma. But Mitoma can’t get the ball out from under his feet, and suddenly Milenkovic arrives to swat Mitoma aside and usher the ball back to his keeper.
37 min: Baleba goes long down the left. Mitoma scampers after it but Murillo comes across to make sure he can’t take up possession. Rutter then nearly intercepts a clearance but the ball pings back to Sels. This is not a classic in the making.
35 min: Some untidy play from both teams, just outside the Brighton box. Anderson finally imposes some order, sending a pass wide right for Gibbs-White, who then whistles a low cross through the six-yard box. Awoniyi slides in but gets nowhere near to connecting.
33 min: Estupinan comes straight through the back of Yates, who was shielding the ball out on the Forest right. He’s slightly fortunate not to go into the book.
