THERE’S a good chance that the late, great Dickie Bird will have been present among his people at Oakwell on the previous feted occasion that Barnsley welcomed Brighton and Hove Albion in the League Cup.

That was way back in November 1981 on a memorable night which saw the soaraway hosts clip the Seagulls’ wings considerably by virtue of a 4-1 victory, courtesy of strikes from Reds legends Ronnie Glavin, Mick McCarthy and Trevor Aylott (2). Norman Hunter’s side reached the quarter-finals and bowed out to eventual winners Liverpool.

The crowd was significantly less than on that stellar night as Albion returned almost 44 years on. Again as a top-flight club.

The West Stand, where Bird used to watch his hometown club with his mates and hold court, was empty aside from the press corps and invited guests.

Barnsley players during a minutes applause for Harold 'Dickie' Bird who has died at the age of 92 ahead of the Carabao Cup third round match at Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

placeholder image — Barnsley players during a minutes applause for Harold 'Dickie' Bird who has died at the age of 92 ahead of the Carabao Cup third round match at Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

Those in Oakwell’s three other stands which were open remembered and paid tribute to one of Yorkshire’s finest ahead of kick-off with a minutes’ applause.

When the game got under way, the claps were for Paraguayan winger Diego Gomez, who had scored in Albion’s 6-0 routing of Championship side Oxford United on their own patch in the previous round.

A first-half hat-trick arrived inside 25 first-half minutes. His opener was easy; his second and third were absolutely magnificent. Just for good measure, he added a fourth midway through the second half. He came off to a standing ovation from the Brighton contingent present.

Late goals enabled Albion to equal their recent feats at Oxford. This night was their’s, unlike in 81.

Barnsley's Jon Russell (right) reacts after Brighton and Hove Albion's first goal during the Carabao Cup third round match at Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley. Picture: Cody Froggatt/PA Wire.

For Barnsley, whose last fourth-round appearance was in 2009, it was a bit of an education at times against a serious side well placed to attack this competition without European commitments.

It ended a six-match unbeaten sequence at Oakwell. If you are going to relinquish it, lose to someone good and Brighton certainly were. Levels is the word.

For those in red, it was a chance to stake a claim for several. But the same applied for Brighton.

Among them was Gomez and he didn’t waste any time. Neither did winger Tom Watson, Sheffield United's play-off final nemesis at Wembley.

After just nine minutes, the pair announced themselves.

Diego Coppola’s shot took a deflection off the leg of debutant Jake Rooney and found Watson on the left. With Barnsley stretched, his centre picked out the supporting Gomez for an easy low finish.

Earlier, Gomez had sent Stefanos Tzimas clear for a chance he should have finished. His prevarication enabled Murphy Cooper and Mael de Gevigney to combine and prevent him from finishing.

After Gomez showed him how it should be done, he provided a stunning encore.

Found by the dangerous Watson, he took aim with a howitzer of a strike which arrowed into the top corner from just outside the box. Simply unstoppable.

His third to secure the matchball was even better.

Latching onto Rooney’s headed clearance from over 30 yards out, he took aim with a stunning half-volley which fairly whistled over Cooper. It was a real goal of the season contender.

Brighton - captained by the irrepressible James Mliner - showed their class in the first half, with their press selection and control.

While Barnsley did not help themselves at times, they could not legislate for two fantastic Gomez strikes which had to be admired.

Barnsley’s best moments usually arrived at the feet of Vimal Yoganathan, a teenager continuing his football education.

Given that Brighton had scored half a dozen away in the previous round at a Championship side, Barnsley needed to be careful on the restart.

On the restart, the need for the hosts - trounced 7-0 at this stage of the competition at Manchester United last season - was to avoid it getting messy.

Brighton, ominously, hunted for more.

Cooper did well to thwart the impressive Carlos Baleba, while a miraculous acrobatic goalline clearance from Jack Shepherd denied Tzimas.

Out of nothing, Barnsley then afforded themselves a rare moment of threat on the visiting goal.

It was also a stunner too with Keillor-Dunn’s long-ranger from just inside Albion’s half catching Jason Steele napping. It clipped the top of the crossbar.

Substitute Jonathan Bland then knocked on wood himself before Gomez announced himself again, slotting home from Welbeck’s nicely-weighted pass.

And then the punishment. Albion replacement Harry Howell blasted in a late fifth and with Barnsley needing the whistle, it didn’t arrive before Ayari emphatically made it six.

Barnsley: Cooper; De Gevigney, Rooney (Tennai Watson 81), Shepherd (Earl 57), Ogbeta (Barratt 57); Connell (Bland 57), Yoganathan; Farrugia, Russell, Cleary; Keillor-Dunn (Phillips 66). Substitutes unused: Flavell, Graham, Woodcock, Farrell.

Brighton: Steele; Kagioglu, Coppola, Boscagli, Kagioglu (Tasker HT), Veltman (Van Hecke 65); Baleba (Ayari 53), Milner; Gomez (Howell 75), Welbeck, Tom Watson; Tzimas (Kostoulas 65). Substitutes unused: McGill, Dunk, Rutter, Mitoma.

Referee: T Reeves (Warwicks)

Attendance: 7,790 (1,437 Brighton supporters).