New boy Taylor Richards made a dream start to life as a Brighton & Hove Albion player, coming off the bench to score the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Crawley Town.
The 18-year-old, who signed from Manchester City 24 hours earlier, converted an 83rd-minute penalty, confidently chipping the ball down the middle to secure victory in a tight affair at The People’s Pension Stadium.
Graham Potter named a first-half line-up which included Romania international Tudor Baluta and January signing Jan Mlakar, who both made their first outings for the club.
Baluta, who’s been capped by his country at senior level five times, impressed for Romania’s under-21s at this summer's UEFA Under-21 European Championships, as a holding midfielder, but Potter partnered him alongside new arrival Matt Clarke in the centre of defence.
There were also roles for Max Sanders at right-back, and Haydon Roberts and Soufyan Ahannach in central midfield.
It was a line-up which showed plenty of attacking intent, with Mlakar part of a four-man attack which saw Tomer Hemed and Aaron Connolly paired through the middle, and Viktor Gyokeres on the left wing.
That attacking intent almost paid off inside the opening minute, when Cox’s enticing cross was flicked just past the front post by Mlakar.
Despite that early foray forward, Albion’s first real opening came when Baluta showed some impressive footwork inside the Crawley penalty area. Found by Ahannach inside the box, he worked an opening, but his low shot was palmed away by Glenn Morris.
Potter made three changes at the start of the second half, which included the introduction of Robert Sanchez and Jack Spong in place of Christian Walton and Hemed, while Albion fans got their first glimpse of Richards, who replaced Connolly.
The highly-rated central midfielder, signed from Manchester City, entered the fray, and after speaking of his excitement at the prospect of impressing Potter, he had an opportunity to do just that at the start of the second half.
Richards was quick to show the lively travelling bunch of Albion fans a glimpse of his talent with a neat one-two with Alex Cochrane on the edge of the box, but the latter’s attempt went just past the right-hand post.
Another youngster looking to impress was Sanchez, and the Seagulls shot-stopper was called into action minutes before Richards’s winner, when he saved Reece Grego-Cox’s close-range strike.
But it was Richards that had the final say, as a Max Sanders free kick was blocked by a handball inside the box, and the 18-year-old scored the decisive goal of the game with seven minutes to spare, confidently chipping home.
A much-changed Albion team will take to the field at Aldershot tomorrow for a match against Fulham at The EBB Stadium.