Football: Another Pool fightback to beat Seagulls.

Hartlepool 2

Brighton 1

HARTLEPOOL'S latest fightback earned them an FA Cup second round trip to non- League Fleetwood, and manager Danny Wilson says he and his players are looking forward to it, writes ARTHUR PICKERING.

But they won't be taking it lightly. They had to work hard to send Brighton out of the Cup, staging a second-half revival after being behind at the break to Brighton's only chance of the first half last night.

Hartlepool got off to their customary poor start when they wasted good early pressure before allowing Brighton to take the lead on 28 minutes.

Visiting keeper Michael Kuipers saved well at the foot of his right-hand post from Matty Robson, and also did well to stop David Foley's shot on the line.

The opener came when Dean Cox's pass caught out the home defence and after going round his man, Nicky Forster finished well from a tight angle on the left of the area.

When Pool tied to come back, a rightwing cross from Robson caught out Kuipers as he flapped at it under his bar, but Matt Richards cleared off the line at the far post.

When Foley cut inside from the right in added time, his shot flashed across the face of the Brighton goal and just wide of the far post.

Kuipers again saved well from Robson and Foley after the break as Hartlepool turned the screw, while Joel Porter and Antony Sweeney both went close.

But it was a controversial penalty that gave Pool their equalizer on 66 minutes, Porter slamming in his spot-kick after a linesman's flag pointed the referee at a push on the home striker by Colin Hawkins.

And four minutes later, Wilson's men were in front after Sweeney crossed low from the right and as the ball came out of the area, Gary Liddle celebrated his return to the side with a great low shot into the bottom corner. Brighton had a Cox goal disallowed for offside a few minutes later and as they battled for the Cup lives they had Pool under late pressure.

But they survived and Wilson said: "I'm sure Brighton won't be happy with the penalty, but there was hardly a cigarette paper between the teams over the two games and I'll take a break like that to get us through.

"It was a difficult game without Kevin Kyle and suspended Sam Collins, but the players performed really well.

"Now we have a trip to Fleetwood to look forward to and it's great to be in the second round.

"But that will be a tough game, too, and there's no chance we'll be taking them lightly."

"Brighton won't be happy with the penalty, but there was hardly a cigarette paper between the teams over the two games and I'll take a break like that