Youthful Cobblers suffer last-gasp agony as Brighton snatch Trophy victory

Town's inexperienced and makeshift team included the club's youngest ever player in Josh Tomlinson, but they stood up to the task impressively for 70 minutes, going ahead through Nicke Kabamba's well-taken goal late in the first-half.

But Brighton rallied late on as Evan Ferguson's wonderful finish pulled them level before Lorent Tolaj struck with virtually the last kick in stoppage-time to send Cobblers out of the competition.

A slice of history was made before kick-off when 15-year-old centre-back Tomlinson was handed a start and therefore become the club's youngest ever player, beating Ivan Toney's previous record by nearly a year.

He was joined in the starting XI by academy team-mates Charlie Woods (goalkeeper), Peter Abimbola (central midfield) and Miguel Ngwa (left midfield). Josh Flanagan, Liam Cross and Scott Pollock also started but Max Dyche missed out through illness.

Sam Hoskins captained the team and started at right-back while Benny Ashley-Seal and Kabamba were also involved, but otherwise the average age of the squad was just 19.

Nonetheless, Town made an encouraging start as Ngwa glanced a header wide, Cross smashed into the side-netting and Kabamba curled one into the gloves of Tom McGill.

Brighton dominated possession but most of it was in their own half and even when they did venture over halfway, Cobblers ensured Woods remained well-protected in his goal.

The visitors turned the screw though and they really should have been ahead half-an-hour in when the impressive Todd Miller surged away on their left and crossed for Cam Peupion, who somehow steered wide from barely a yard out.

Just as Brighton looked to be in the ascendency, Town struck against the run of play.

Both strikers were involved as Ashley-Seal latched onto a long ball before finding Kabamba and he finished nicely into the bottom corner for his first Cobblers goal.

A combination of Dominic Revan and Tomlinson scrambled the ball away when Brighton sought an immediate leveller within moments, ensuring Cobblers took their lead into half-time.

The home side were a whisker away from doubling their lead six minutes after half-time when Pollock and Kabamba combined nicely to slip in Ashley-Seal but he poked just wide.

Abimbola's well-struck effort was too close to McGill and the Brighton goalkeeper denied him again a few minutes later when sprawling low to his right.

But, like in the first-half, Brighton started to get on top and enjoyed a dominant spell as Woods tipped over Ferguson's piledriver and Miller fired into the side-netting.

And the visitors were level with 19 minutes to play courtesy of a superb finish from substitute Ferguson, who curled brilliantly into the top corner.

Pollock stabbed wide via a deflection and Cobblers won a succession of corners with the last one headed over by Kabamba.

There was late controversy when Brighton's Ulrick Ella bore down on goal and rounded Woods before falling to ground, but instead of being awarded a spot-kick, he was booked for diving, much to his incredulity.

But Brighton were finishing like a train and they nicked a last-gasp winner when Tolaj turned in a cross with virtually the last kick of the game.

Match facts

Cobblers: Woods, Revan, Tomlinson, Flanagan, Hoskins (c), Abimbola, Pollock, Cross, Ngwa (Curry 72), Kabamba, Ashley-Seal

Subs not used: Roberts, Lashley, Hill, Connor, Ndefo

Brighton U21s: McGill, Spong, Leonard (c), Tolaj, Furlong, Turns, Packham, Offiah, Moran, Peupion (Ferguson 57), Miller (Ella 82)

Subs not used: Desbois, Hinchy, Jackson, Nilsson, Hinshelwood

Referee: Chris Pollard

Attendance: 1,014

Brighton fans: 21