Club news

Albion Go In Search Of Continued April Success

By Kieran Cleeves • 14 April 2018

With a number of important games in April for Chris Hughton’s team - Brighton & Hove Albion will be looking to record another successful month, following back-to-back seasons which saw the Seagulls secure an impressive points total.

Albion kicked off the month with a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town at the Amex Stadium, and Hughton’s men still have Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley left to play before May arrives.

The Seagulls recorded an unbeaten April during the 2015/16 season, as they drew once and sealed five consecutive victories en route to finishing in the Championship play-offs.

It all started with a 2-2 draw against Burnley, who Albion play later this month at Turf Moor, before back-to-back 2-1 victories on the road against Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest - which also saw two goals from Lewis Dunk.

Albion ran riot at the Amex when Fulham and Queens Park Rangers visited the south coast within the space of five days, as Hughton’s side sealed 5-0 and 4-0 wins respectively to maintain their stunning form.

The month ended with a 3-1 victory against Charlton Athletic at The Valley, but it proved to be Albion’s last win of the season, as they drew three matches in May and lost to Sheffield Wednesday.

Roll forward 12 months and April was the month that saw Albion race over the finish line and seal their long-awaited promotion to the Premier League - after five successive wins and two defeats.

Consecutive home wins over Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City got things underway, as Glenn Murray notched the winning goal over Rovers, before the Seagulls sealed a 3-1 win against the Blues.

A stunning Sebastien Pocognoli free-kick made it 2-1 at Loftus Road as Albion clinched an important 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers, which was then followed by a 2-0 success over Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home.

Goals from Murray and Solly March made the difference against Wigan Athletic at the Amex on Monday 17th April - the day the Seagulls secured their place in England’s top flight for the first time in 34 years.

April ended with two defeats to Norwich City and Bristol City - but Hughton’s men had already secured their number one goal, despite the season ending with a hint of disappointment as the Seagulls missed out on the league title.

But this time around, Albion find themselves in the Premier League, fighting at the opposite end of the table - and safety is within touching distance for Hughton’s team, who travel to Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Another successful month for the Seagulls would surely guarantee their place in England’s top flight next season, and they have three matches to add to their current points total of 35 - before a hat-trick of tough fixtures against Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.