Chris Hughton Praises Brighton's Application as They Pass Coventry Test With Flying Colours

Chris Hughton hailed his players for their professionalism as Brighton easily saw off the challenge of Coventry City in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Hughton made nine changes from his last Premier League lineup, but it didn't show as the Seagulls won 3-1 with a dominant display against their lower-league visitors. 

They will now appear in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1986, where they will face Manchester United.

“The application was exactly what you need in this type of game," Hughton told Brighton's official website. "We had to work hard for it today and credit to Coventry for that.

“We wanted to start fast and take the sting out of their game, particularly if we could score early and build on that.

“It was always going to be about application - I can’t fault ours, we very much played on the front foot and wanted to get an early lead."

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Jurgen Locadia scored on his Brighton debut to settle the nerves at the Amex Stadium before Connor Goldson doubled the home side's lead before half-time. Leonardo Ulloa scored his first goal since returning to the club after the break, before Jonson Clarke-Harris added a late consolation.

“The first goal deflated them a little bit - it was a super goal and one for Jurgen to get off the mark," said Hughton.

“Leo’s goal is what he can do - he’s a target man and wants to get into the box. He’s the type of striker that if you provide a service for him, he’ll have opportunities to score.”

Brighton now return to the more important task of surviving in the Premier League. They currently sit two points outside the relegation zone, and host Swansea in a crunch match next Saturday.