Murray Is Still Main Man

Striker’s 19th of season boosts brighton title tilt.

- Esther Jackson

BRIGHTON & Hove Albion are now nine points clear of third-placed Hudders field but manager Chris Hughton refused to get carried away by his side’s win over relegation strugglers Blackburn Rovers.

Glenn Murray slotted home his 19th goal of the season on 67 minutes to keep them firmly in the automatic promotion places, a point behind table-toppers Newcastle.

Rovers remain third from bottom and just one point behind Bristol City and this was Tony Mowbray’s first defeat as their manager.

Blackburn pressed for an equaliser late on, and caused problems for the home side, but the Seagulls held on for the 24th win of the season.

But with seven games left Hughton doesn’t think promotion is a done deal just yet.

“We have seven more opportunities and each of them are individual games and you can’t look too far,” he said.

“Clean sheets will always give you the best chance of getting wins and the more of them we get the better chance we’ve got.

“It’s important in a very scrappy game that we get over the line and we did in this game.”

Murray was singled out for praise after his side’s crucial win.