BHAFC 1-0 NUFC

On a cold January’s night in Brighton, United yet again tumbled out of the FA Cup to lower league opposition in a meek and feeble manner.

Just as we did at Stevenage last year, we surrendered our last chance of silverware for another season, this time to the irritating scrote Gus Poyet and his ragbag team of limited but passionate players.

United lined up with only one change from Fulham, with James Perch replacing the injured Colo, but it wasn’t at the back where United looked weak - with our midfield and ‘forwards’ particular poor on a shocker of a night for the Mags.

With Shola up top, Leon nominally out left, and Ben Arfa on the right, and with the position of Jonas open to debate, United kept possession well but posed almost no threat to the Brighton goal, save for a couple of Leon Best efforts, one of which was an excellent touch and shot just wide, the other a poor header over.

With Danny Simpson and Ben Arfa showing very little down the right, it was left to Leon and Cabaye/Guthrie to pose an attacking threat, but they failed to do so as United once again crashed out of the cup in the early rounds as the likes of Stevenage progressed.

The only goal of the game came when WIll Buckley cut inside and saw his shot take a critical deflection off Mike Williamson and into the United net. The travelling Mags tried to rouse their heroes, but they never looked like equalising, and were lucky to keep 11 men on the field, with Cabaye seemingly kicking out at the bald, chip-on-the-shoulder centre half Adam El-Abd.

And so another trophy less season for United, and with some warranted (and a lot of unwarranted) criticism sent the way of the players, Pardew and co will need to make amends on Wednesday night at Blackburn, where we may have the services of our Senegalese Dembii, fresh (or not) from their elimination from the African Cup of Nations.