GLENN HUDDLE
Hughton puts an arm around Murray after second penalty miss
GLENN MURRAY missed from the spot for the second time this season but boss Chris Hughton is keeping faith with him.
Veteran striker Murray, who also missed from the spot in a 0-0 draw against Burnley in December, admits his mistake cost Brighton dearly.
But manager Hughton has no plans to change his penalty-taker when Seagulls face Huddersfield next weekend in what is now a massive relegation sixpointer. Hughton said: “I won’t change because Glenn has been very good for us this season.
“It’s no different if a defender makes a mistake which leads to a goal. We don’t generally question too much. Look at the goals Glenn has scored, goals that have won us games. These are the things you have to remember.”
That will be a relief for Murray, who fluffed the chance to put Brighton in front and then watched Leicester, who had Wilfred Ndidi sent off, seal the points through late goals from Vicente Iborra and Jamie Vardy.
“Will it stop me taking another one? No, not at all,” said the 34-year-old, who has 13 goals this season.
“I missed the target against Burnley but this time Kasper Schmeichel (the Leicester keeper) has done his job and he’s done it well. That’s the way I look at it. I got it on target and it’s a good save. He earned his money.”
The defeat has hauled Brighton back into the rele- gation battle just when they thought they had escaped it.
Hughton’s men are now 13th but only six points above the drop zone with games against relegationthreatened Huddersfield and Crystal Palace to come.
“We’ve got a six-point cushion but of course nine would have been nicer still,” said Murray. “But I think we would have taken this at the start of the season.”
By contrast Leicester are eyeing the chance to overtake seventh-placed Burnley, who they face on April 14, and grabbing a chance of playing in the Europa League. And for defender Harry Maguire, who was impressive at the Amex after also starring for England against Italy and Holland, that would round off a fantastic season.
He said: “The World Cup is definitely on my mind. We have got seven big games here and if I keep performing well for Leicester and we finish where we want to finish it will only help me to get into the squad.
“The World Cup and the Europa League would be a good double. We want to get seventh.
“Burnley are winning week in and week out but we have to be there ready to catch them when they slip. It would be massive for us to get into Europe.”