KING KOD PROVES DOUBLE TROUBLE
stubborn Blackburn defence and the breakthrough arrived on 67 minutes when Murray hit his 19th league goal of the season, scoring from close in after Knockaert had headed down a Liam Rosenior cross.
Murray, who bagged a Championship-record 30 goals to spearhead Crystal Palace’s promotion four seasons ago, nearly scored again moments later when his low shot was saved by the keeper.
Steele saved a late free-kick from Dunk and Hemed also shot wide as Brighton clinched their fifth straight league win over Rovers.
Hughton stressed the importance of stability over the final seven matches as Brighton aim to clinch a top-two finish, saying “We have seven games left and each individually will be massive. But today I was far more pleased with our win than the other results.
“We are trying to be as normal as possible with seven games to go and not to change too much.
“It was more important, however, that even in a scrappy game we got the job done.”
Rovers manager Mowbray was disappointed his side were unable to hold on for the draw: “The plan was to make Brighton nervous,” he said.
“Generally it was pretty tight and 0-0 might have been a fair result from our perspective.
“We wanted to make life difficult and we nearly did it.” BRIGHTON: JONATHAN KODJIA took his goal tally for the season to 17 as he paved the way for Villa to record their fourth successive home win without conceding.
The Canaries finished a man short after Ivo Pinto was shown a red card for a second booking with 10 minutes left to play.
The visitors were dangerous on the break with Cameron Jerome a major threat with his solo efforts.
The striker should have had the Canaries buoyant as early as the 10th minute. He found his way past three defenders only to stub a close-range effort just wide of the post.
It signalled a spell of Norwich pressure with Villa’s defence far from happy as they tried to stifle a City side – inspired by some crafty play from Alex Pritchard – gaining in confidence.
In sharp contrast Villa were disjointed. BLACKBURN: Promising attacks repeatedly broke down and as a result Scott Hogan and Kodjia lacked any real service to unlock the Norwich defence.
But the strikers combined in the 25th minute to open the scoring. It was Hogan who sent Kodjia clear down the right channel and the Ivory Coast star checked inside to score with a rising shot into the roof of the net.
Hogan attempted to get in on the act himself with a shot on the turn only to be foiled by an outstanding save by Michael McGovern.
On-loan keeper Sam Johnstone showed why Villa want to sign him when he bravely raced from his line to stop another goal attempt from the persistent Jerome.
Kodjia converted a long free-kick from Johnstone to settle the game three minutes from time.
Villa boss Steve Bruce said: “We showed a little bit of resilience and my goalkeeper has played very well today.
“We’re improving. We weren’t great but we’ve done enought to win.”
Norwich boss Alan Irvine said: “I thought we played really well for most of the game, even with 10 men.”
XX(KO 3pm unless stated) PREMIER LEAGUE DDLLWW..........AFC Bournemouth Chelsea............................. WDDWWW
(5:30pm) LWWWWW ........................ Everton Leicester ................................ DLLLLW
(Playing Sunday, 4pm) DWWWdD ....................... Man City Hull...........................................LLdLLL WDdWLL ................ Middlesbrough Burnley.................................... LLDLLd LDDWWL...............................Stoke Liverpool ............................... LDWLLD dLdLLd ........................ Sunderland Man Utd .............................WWWDLW
(Playing Sunday, 1:30pm) LWWWLW .................... West Brom Southampton ....................... WLWLWL LWLDLL ......................... West Ham Swansea ................................ LWLLLL
Tottenham Hotspur v Watford (12:30pm), Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Monday 8pm)
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP LWLLLd ...................... Birmingham Derby ..................................... LDLLLD WLWWDD ...................... Blackburn Barnsley ................................ WdWLLL DWLdDW ...................... Bristol City Wolverhampton ................... WLLdWW LWWDWL ................. Burton Albion Aston Villa ............................. LLLWLW WLWDDW ........................... Cardiff Brentford ............................. LLWDWW WLWDDL ............................ Fulham Ipswich ................................. DWDDDL WLWWdW ............................ Leeds Preston North End ................. LddLDD WWDDDW......................... Norwich Reading ............................... WDLLLW WWLWLD .................. Nottm Forest Huddersfield........................ WWDLWL WWLWDL ...................... Sheff Wed Newcastle ........................... WDWWdd
(5:30pm) LDddLL .................................Wigan Rotherham ...............................LLLLLL
QPR v Brighton (Friday 7:45pm) SKY BET LEAGUE ONE DWLWLW .............AFC Wimbledon Bristol Rovers ....................... dDDWLL WdWLWd................................ Bury Bradford ............................... DLWWDL DLLWDD........................... Charlton Southend ........................... WWLLWW LLLDDL .......................Chesterfield Port Vale ................................ LDLDLL WLLLWW......................... Coventry Peterborough ....................... WLLLDW DDWWLL....................... Gillingham Millwall ...................................WdLDLL WWLWWd ................. Northampton Sheff Utd ............................ WdDWWD WWddWD.......................... Oldham Fleetwood Town .................WDWWWd LdLLWW ...................... Scunthorpe Bolton.................................DLWWWW WWWWdL ................... Shrewsbury Rochdale................................ LLDLWL LdWLLW ........................... Swindon Milton Keynes Dons ................ LdDLLd WWWWWL ........................ Walsall Oxford Utd ......................... WWWWLd
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO WDWWDW .......Accrington Stanley Crewe.................................. LDLWWW LDLDDW ............................. Barnet Luton .....................................DDWdDL dDDWWW ...................... Blackpool Grimsby ................................. LdLWLD LWLDLd ................. Cambridge Utd Leyton Orient ........................DWLWLL LWLLdL ..............................Carlisle Notts County ........................ LWWLLW LWWLWW .....................Colchester Stevenage ........................... WDWWLd LLdLLW ....................Crawley Town Plymouth ............................ WDDWDW DDDWWL ...................... Doncaster Mansfield .............................. WLddLW WDDLWD ............................ Exeter Newport County ................... DLLWWL LWLLLL ....................... Morecambe Hartlepool .............................. LLLLWL WWDLWW................... Portsmouth Yeovil..................................... LLdWDD WLLdDL ......................... Wycombe Cheltenham ........................... LLWLLL
LADBROKES SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP WWWWWW ................... Aberdeen Rangers ................................ DWLLLD
(Playing Sunday, 12:30pm) LDWDDW .........................Hamilton Ross County ......................... LLDLWD DWdDLW ............................. Hearts Dundee .................................. LLLDWL LdDWLD ................... Inverness CT St Johnstone ........................ LLWWLW dWLWWD ............................ Partick Motherwell ............................ LWLLWL
Celtic v Kilmarnock LADBROKES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP LDLWLW................................... Ayr Queen of South .................. WDWDLD
Dundee Utd v Falkirk, Dunfermline v Raith, Morton v Hibernian, St Mirren v Dumbarton
Stoke, West Brom, Birmingham, Norwich, Sheff Wed, Wigan, Chesterfield Everton, Man City, Fulham, Leeds, Oldham, Walsall, Barnet, Blackpool, Cambridge Utd, Carlisle Chelsea, Man Utd, Barnsley, Wolverhampton, Aston Villa, Huddersfield