Norwich 0 – 4 Brighton happymamay

Brighton returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as they beat Norwich 4-0 to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Seagulls had failed to win any of their previous eight matches, with six ending in a draw, but it was a different story at Carrow Road as they pulled one back against the Championship hosts.

Two goals at the end of the first half by Jorginio Rutter set the Premier League side on course for a comfortable victory before Julio Enciso and substitute Solly March scored after the break to underscore the gap between the two sides.

Norwich got off to a good start and almost took the lead in the 15th minute when Amankwah Forson, the scoring hero in last week’s dramatic win over Coventry, curled in a shot from 25 yards.

But the visitors from the Premier League gradually took control of the match and Rutter made two saves before finally giving his team the lead eight minutes before the end of the first half.

With the striker at the back post, his Dutch compatriot Joel Veltman sent a perfect cross from the right side, which he headed powerfully past George Long from close range.

Rutter doubled his tally for Brighton in the last minute of the first half, with a simple assist from defender Callum Doyle.

Yankuba Menté created the opportunity with a quick break into midfield and a precise pass and although Rutter’s shot appeared to be on target, it needed a huge deflection off Doyle to beat the keeper.

Brighton scored the decisive third goal of the match just before the hour mark to take complete control.

Substitute Brad Hills’ first-half slide allowed Enciso to gain possession of the ball and cut into the area before beating Long from a tight angle, with the ball going just outside the far post.

Marsh then produced a moment of magic to make it 4-0 in the 74th minute, striking the ball home in stunning fashion after fellow substitute Brajan Gruda crossed it from the right.

Television replays suggested that March may have scored from an offside position, but with no VAR present, the goal was awarded.

With the game long lost, the Canaries brought key striker Josh Sargent back on the field for the final minutes after a lengthy injury layoff – but that was the only bright spot on a gloomy afternoon.

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