Alexis Mac Allister scored a brace to help Brighton produce one of the high-scoring football scores of the weekend in the FA Cup. The Argentine international scored two skillful goals in the 58th and 80th minutes to help the Premier League team secure a comfortable 5-1 victory at the Riverside Stadium as a halftime replacement for Adam Lallana. The visitors had already taken the lead thanks to goals from Pascal Gross and Adam Lallana in the first half, which came to either side of Chuba Akpom’s equalizer (his 14th of the season). On a day when Michael Carrick’s promotion prospects were given a taste of what awaits them should they make it out of the second division this season, substitute Deniz Undav added a late fifth.
Mac Allister had to settle for a bench spot once more as Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi started seven of the players from the 4-1 Premier League victory over struggling Everton on Tuesday. With Kaoru Mitoma dominant down the left and combining menacingly with Gross, the visitors got off to a great start. Eight minutes into the game, it was captain Gross who scored the game-winning goal when, after the unmarked Solly March had capitalized on Evan Ferguson’s astute ball to force Zack Steffen into making a stop, he followed up and into an empty net.
The Seagulls were proving difficult for the Teessiders to contain, but after 13 minutes they were level when former Boro goalkeeper Jason Steele could only tip Akpom’s header onto the post and watch the ball spin into his net. After 23 minutes, Steele saved Brighton when Riley McGree raced in on goal and unleashed a stinging shot that the goalkeeper pushed over his crossbar thanks to a clever flick-on from Matt Crooks. When Mitoma sent March’s cross back to the far post and Lallana headed in from close range on the half-hour, Steffen was once again pulling the ball out of his goal. Gross’ free-kick in the 26th minute was dealt with less convincingly by Steffen.
When Boro rallied, Steele easily denied Crooks, and Jan Paul van Hecke clawed away Akpom’s cross at the near post. However, Steffen had to stop a powerful Mitoma shot to ensure the hosts went into the half just one goal behind. At halftime, Mac Allister took over for Lallana as the visitors came out fighting. Had March not directed a free header from Pervis Estupinan’s tempting cross straight at Steffen, the visitors might have ended the game in three minutes.
With Moises Caicedo and Mac Allister controlling the middle of the park, the hosts were unable to get out of their own half. The Argentine earned his reward when he reacted quickly to tip Estupinan’s sweeping strike past Steffen and inside his left post. Mac Allister twice came close with free kicks, finally doubling his total when he easily converted Gross’ low cross, and Undav sealed the deal with two minutes left.
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