Brighton and Hove Albion secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup Third Round at the Amex Stadium.
In an opening half an hour totally dominated by the Seagulls, strikes by the African duo of Carlos Baleba and Simon Adingra saw the home side go 2-0 up within 31 minutes.
Gary O'Neil's Wolves side reduced the deficit just before half-time through Gonçalo Guedes.
In a far cagier second half, a late goal from Albion's new Turkish international Ferdi Kadıoğlu appeared to seal the tie for Brighton, though Tommy Doyle’s injury-time strike made for a tense finish.
In the end, Wolves' late charge proved nothing but a consolation goal in a match largely dominated by the home side.
The result sees Brighton progress to the fourth round of the competition, ensuring new boss Fabian Hürzeler remains unbeaten in his first six matches of the season, winning four.
Meanwhile, Wolves continue their sticky form to start the season, with just one win against Burnley in the Carabao Cup amongst their six opening fixtures.
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Story of the Match
Hürzeler fielded a strong Albion side, despite making eight changes from their last Premier League outing.
His youthful side still carried great skill, with key players like Julio Enciso, Evan Ferguson and Simon Adingra hoping to impress their way into Premier League starts.
Wolverhampton also rotated heavily, with 10 changes for the away side and manager O'Neil handing a senior debut to Alfie Pond.
He gave chances to Pedro Lima and the captain for the night, Doyle. However, it was the "excellent and hardworking" Guedes who O'Neil was impressed with in his post-match comments.
The Seagulls quickly took control of the match, with Baleba opening the scoring in the 14th minute.
Baleba, who was excellent at the weekend against Ipswich, capitalized on a Wolves mistake, dispossessing João Gomes before curling a spectacular strike into the corner from range, giving José Sá little chance.
Brighton doubled their lead in the 31st minute through Adingra. After cutting inside from the right, Adingra fired another well-placed shot past Sá to put the Seagulls 2-0 up.
At this stage, it seemed as though Wolves were heading for a tough night, as they struggled to create clear-cut chances.
However, just before the break, Wolves pulled one back. Matt Doherty surged forward and cut the ball back for Guedes, who finished clinically with the aid of a deflection, giving the visitors a lifeline going into halftime.
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Wolves push for equalizer
The game flipped on its head as the sides came out for the second half.
Pushing on from their equaliser, Wolves came out far stronger and dominated much of the play.
They nearly found the equalizer early on when Rodrigo Gomes was played through, but his heavy touch allowed Brighton keeper Jason Steele to make a comfortable save.
Guedes continued to be Wolves' most dangerous player, sending two dangerous crosses into the box, with one effort forcing a save from Albion keeper
The turning point came when Wolves almost drew level through an own goal.
Nelson Semedo’s cross was deflected toward the Brighton goal by Adam Webster, but Hinshelwood cleared off the line to keep Brighton ahead.
Brighton manager Hürzeler made key substitutions to stem the Wolves' pressure, introducing Kadıoğlu and Danny Welbeck, which would prove decisive.
With Wolves pushing forward, Brighton found space on the break. In the 85th minute, after a tremendous bit of skill from Adingra, he released Welbeck, whose shot was parried by Sá into the path of Kadıoğlu.
The Turkish international slotted home on his second appearance for the club, restoring Brighton’s two-goal cushion.
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Wolves’ late fightback
Despite Brighton's third goal, Wolves refused to give up. In injury time, Brighton goalkeeper Steele’s loose clearance was a lapse in judgement.
His mistake fell to substitute Jørgen Strand Larsen, who set up Tommy Doyle on the edge of the box.
Doyle's strike flew in off the underside of the bar, reducing the deficit to 3-2, but it was too little too late for Wolves to mount a full comeback, and the Seagulls held on to secure the victory.
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Player of the Match - Carlos Baleba
For the second time in under a week, Baleba was the standout player for Brighton.
The Cameroon international, signed as a replacement for Moisés Caicedo, looks to be yet another breakthrough star player for the Albion.
His early goal was brilliant, but beyond that, his control in midfield set the tone for the Seagulls’ first-half dominance. Not only did he contribute with a crucial interception and clinical finish, but his presence throughout the game helped Brighton absorb Wolves’ pressure during their second-half resurgence.
He is a player who is a joy to watch and is slowly becoming the first name on Hürzeler's team sheet.
Brighton now advance to the Fourth Round of the Carabao Cup. Meanwhile, Wolves will rue their missed opportunities after a promising second-half display.
