Brighton thought their hunt for successive away wins for the first time this season had got off to a perfect start nine minutes in, when Yankuba Minteh’s low cross found Jack Hinshelwood six yards out, but somehow Melker Ellborg kept out the golden chance with an instinctive stop.
After Pascal Gross went close following the resulting corner, it was Brighton’s turn to conjure up some last-ditch defending, when a cross eventually found Chemsdine Talbi at the back post, but his clean hit was cleared off the line by the backtracking Lewis Dunk.
Midway through the half, Hinshelwood’s afternoon in front of goal got worse when Danny Welbeck held the ball up inside the area and squared it to the arriving midfielder, but his strike lacked conviction and it went straight to Ellborg.
However, the Black Cats were not doing enough to punish those misses, as Bart Verbruggen needed only make routine saves from Omar Alderete and Lutsharel Geertruida, as Chris Rigg sent a bicycle kick sailing wide.
That appeared to change three minutes into the second half, when Rigg steered the ball past Verbruggen, only for VAR to chalk it off for offside against Alderete, who had knocked the ball down.
The collective sigh of relief from the Seagulls seemed to cause a lapse in concentration, as they then gave the ball away cheaply when playing out from the back, but Brian Brobbey was wasteful with the resulting effort.
Having not threatened all half, Brighton took the lead just before the hour, when Minteh’s corner was cleared back to him, and after getting to the byline, he attempted a cross which somehow evaded Ellborg and swerved in at the near post.
Neither Trai Hume nor Diego Gomez could find the target as the match entered its final quarter, before Alderete headed a mishit clearance goalwards, but Verbruggen got down to deny him.
Régis Le Bris’ side peppered the visitors’ box with excellent deliveries, but they failed to generate the late chance they needed to equalise.
The win takes Brighton above Sunderland on goal difference, with both sides winning 10, drawing 10 and losing 10 of their 30 matches this season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Yankuba Minteh (Brighton)
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