Rico Henry snatches cup win for Walsall
Walsall knocked out another Sky Bet Championship side when they came from behind to beat previously unbeaten Brighton 2-1 at the Banks's Stadium in the second round of the Capital Cup, with teenage defender Rico Henry grabbing the priceless winner.
A Jake Forster-Caskey penalty had given the Seagulls the lead six minutes before half-time. But after Milan Lalkovic equalised, Chris O'Grady missed another spot-kick for Brighton and Henry notched an 85th-minute winner.
The Saddlers, joint leaders of League One, are unbeaten this season and knocked Nottingham Forest out in the first round and deserved their fifth straight win of the season.
Before kick-off there was a minute's silence in memory of the Brighton employee Matt Grimstone and fan Jacob Shilt, the Worthing United players who died in the Shoreham air show plane crash.
Walsall were first to threaten when Kieron Morris broke quickly down the right and delivered a cross into the box where Lalkovic headed over the crossbar from close range.
Two minutes later it was Brighton's turn, with Liam Rosenior bursting through powerfully and hitting a fierce drive which Neil Etheridge saved low down.
As play switched from end to end, the Saddlers' top scorer Tom Bradshaw had an effort blocked and in the 14th minute Morris also saw a shot blocked following good work by Reece Flanagan.
Brighton central defender Lewis Dunk, whose future had been in doubt following interest from Fulham, was then warned for a foul on Bradshaw. But the visitors were starting to get on top and Walsall defender Paul Downing was fortunate to escape three times with poor passes which were easily intercepted.
Sam Mantom was caught in possession and Jake Foster-Caskey was through in the 21st minute but his shot was saved by the diving Etheridge. And six minutes later Jamie Murphy mistimed a header from Rosenior's cross when he should have given Brighton the lead.
But the visitors did go ahead in the 39th minute when Jason Demetriou was adjudged to have tripped Forster-Caskey who grabbed the ball and sent Etheridge the wrong way with a perfect penalty.
Good work by Murphy set up an early second-half chance for Rohan Ince but he smashed the ball over the crossbar from 15 yards.
Walsall should have been level in the 61st minute when Henry sent over a great cross from the left but Mantom's header struck a defender and went for a corner.
The Saddlers made a couple of substitutions and equalised with a superb goal in the 65th minute.
Bradshaw slipped his marker on the right and pulled back a low cross which substitute Romaine Sawyers dummied, leaving Lakovic to smash a right-foot shot into the roof of the net.
Back came Brighton to squander another penalty in the 71st minute after O'Grady was clearly tripped by James O'Connor. O'Grady took the spot-kick himself but hoofed the ball high over the bar, and two minutes later he was replaced by Tomer Hemed.
Walsall went close again after 80 minutes, substitute Jordan Cook seeing a shot deflected for a corner, but the Midlanders did snatch a winner five minutes from the end. Sawyers crossed low for 18-year-old Henry to drive low into the net for his first ever goal.
Source: PA
