AT THE DOUBLE!
Down by Garry Monk’s promotion hopefuls
Hernandez. Invisible during last week’s 0-0 draw with the Hoops, the Spaniard was far more instrumental here.
Having crossed for Kyle Bartley to head over, Hernandez then forced a terrific goal-line clearance from Uwe Huenemeier.
From the resulting corner, he whipped a terrific ball onto the penalty spot that Wood, arriving at pace, should have finished.
Green subsequently spared Liam Cooper’s blushes after the defender inadvertently met Anthony Knockaert’s cut-back, but it was a rare sight of goal for the pinioned visitors.
Unlike Leeds’ thumping creative heartbeat, Brighton’s was becalmed. Knockaert – scorer of 12 goals this term – was swamped like sharks savaging a carcass, unable to isolate the returning Charlie Taylor. Shorn of his influence, Brighton lacked teeth.
Wood again failed to capitalise when Gaetano Berardi’s cross fell at his feet, but made no mistake with Taylor’s deep cross, shrugging off the dithering Lewis Dunk to loop a clever header beyond David Stockdale.
For a moment, Leeds wobbled. Knockaert eventually wriggled free to test Green with a scuffed low strike. Glenn Murray thumped wide, then straight at the keeper. Normal service swiftly resumed, however, and when stand-in right-back Fikayo Tomori spoiled an excellent performance by felling substitute Souley Doukara, Wood’s drilled spot kick ended the argument.
“It’s a shame for Fikayo,” said Seagulls boss Chris Hughton. “It was his first Championship start and he’s a great prospect who I thought had an excellent game.
“For me, I think a draw would have been a fair result. They were better than us first half but at 0-0 I was reasonably happy. I thought the game would open up, but it was a question of moments.
“They score a goal from a quality ball, a player in form. We had two or three quality chances and didn’t take them.”