One Andone. Brighton needed this – they will not care that it came in a game that neither side deserved to win.
After waiting the entirety of 2019 for a Premier League victory, the once comfortable Seagulls had started looking awkwardly over their shoulders. Now, five points clear of the fading Cardiff, another season in the top flight looms.
In the end, it was substitute Florin Andone who earned them the three points. His leaping header past Jonas Lossl with 78 minutes on the clock was all Brighton had to offer up to take the win.
Maybe this should always have been expected. Oh do Huddersfield not like to be beside the seaside. Town now have the worst record in the AMEX Stadium’s history, with seven straight games without a win to their name.
The Terriers had won a first game in 15 coming into this but even so they played a big part in a drab first-half.
Arguably the best opportunity of the first 45 minutes came when the visitors gave the ball away and Murray was quickly played in. It took a Schindler-Kongolo sandwich to stop him.
At the other end, Alireza Jahanbakhsh rattled the bar with an effort on his right from the left in the 38th minute. Jonas Lossl was at a loss as the ball flew over his head – he would have been happy to see it rebound back out.
Clearly Chris Hughton had words with his players at half-time. They came out revitalised. Murray really should have sent them in front after Yves Bissouma played him in well in the box. His shot, though, was straight at Lossl and easy to turn away.
Jahanbakhsh threatened again minutes later – and this time from a more reasonable range. However, after coming into the box on his right he could only fire the ball tamely into Lossl’s hands.
Hughton made a series of changes. Andone and Josef Izquierdo came on. They both had a hand to play in the winner.
It was Izquierdo, only on the pitch for a minute, who collected the ball on the left after a corner broke down and fed it to Knockaert. In space, the winger sent in a devilish cross.
Really, all Andone had to do was meet the ball with his head and guide it past Lossl for his first league goal since December 4.
There was a brief glimmer of hope for Huddersfield moments after they kicked the game off again as Billing rose highest in the area from a corner.
Unfortunately for the Premier League’s basement side, their midfield giant could only send his header over the bar.
Mike Dean then turned down a pair of penalty shouts for the host, with those in the stands fuming at both decisions.
Not that it will matter – much like the low quality of this game before Andone’s intervention – when they see the the table in the morning.
After so long without a win, Brighton are, like Andone, heading in the right direction again