Brighton 1-0 Wolves: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Murray's Strike Proves Enough for Seagulls
Brighton won their third consecutive match after battling to a 1-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday afternoon.
A second half strike from Glenn Murray proved to be the difference between the two sides, with Wolves failing to find a way past a resolute Brighton defence.
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Despite the fact that Wolves dominated possession in the opening exchanges, it took until the 32nd minute before they were able to fashion themselves a decent opportunity. Matt Doherty danced his way into the 18-yard box before scuffing his effort wide of the far post.
Brighton had a decent chance of their own five minutes before half time when Shane Duffy found himself unmarked at the back post from a corner, only to direct his header wide of the target.
Whilst the first half was devoid of action, the second began with a bang. Glenn Murray notched his sixth goal of the season with a very well taken finish, stroking beyond Rui Patricio from close range to put Brighton into the lead just moments after the restart.
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Chances remained at a premium and Wolves weren't able to test Mat Ryan until the 75th minute, when the Australian keeper was called into action twice in the space of few minutes to keep his side ahead.
Ryan was called in to action again right at the death, saving instinctively from Ryan Bennett who seemed destined to find the back of the net from close range.
BRIGHTON
Key Talking Point
In spite of the fact that Brighton were coming into this one off the back of two consecutive victories, they were still arguably the underdogs.
They didn't see an awful lot of the ball, nor did they create an awful lot of chances, but they put in a very resolute performance at the back and, on that basis, were more than worthy of the three points.
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Their afternoon was typified by the work of Jose Izquierdo and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who both worked tirelessly to support their full-backs when dealing with the likes of Adama Traore.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: Ryan (7); Bruno (7), Dunk (6), Duffy (7), Bong (6); Jahanbakhsh (6), Stephens (6), Kayal (6), Izquierdo (6), March (6), Murray (7*).
Substitutes: Bissouma (6), Knockhart (5).
Star Man - Without Glenn Murray up top, it is safe to say that Brighton would not be in the position they currently find themselves in.
The veteran striker was incredibly unselfish, tracking back when needed and filling the wide areas when both Izquierdo and Jahanbakhsh had to track back.
He was rewarded for his hard work with yet another goal, which was his 100th for the club.
Worst Player - There were no real poor performances on show from the hosts, but Gaetan Bong looked a little shaky, especially in the first half.
Matt Doherty got the better of him on a number of occasions, but in the end it didn't matter too much.
WOLVES
Key Talking Point
Nuno Espirito Santo admitted that his side performed very poorly last weekend against Watford, so he would have been looking for a response this weekend.
However, once again Wolves were off the boil. They kept the ball well and looked relatively solid at the back, but they looked very blunt at the top end of the pitch.
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They created one or two decent opportunities in the second half, but they never really looked like they were going to find an equaliser.
Player Ratings
Starting XI: Patricio (6); Bennett (6), Boly (7), Coady (6); Doherty (7*), Neves (6), Moutinho (6), Jonny (6); Traore (6), Costa (5), Jimenez (5).
Substitutes: Jota (5), Cavaleiro (6), Bonatini (N/A).
Star Man - It is a shame that Matt Doherty's afternoon will be remembered for the fact that he spurned a few decent chances in front goal, because he was otherwise superb.
The Irish wing-back bombed forward on the right-flank and looked a serious threat throughout, causing Gaetan Bong some real issues.
Worst Player - It was a game to forget for Helder Costa, who was off the pace from the very start.
The Portuguese winger created very little from the right flank and his decision making in the final third fell short of what was required on too many occasions.
Looking Ahead
Brighton will be looking to continue their good run of form when they travel to face Everton next weekend. As for Wolves, they face off against Tottenham at Molineux.
