THE MAN SEALS PLAY-OFF SLOT
YANN KERMORGANT fired The Royals into the play-offs for the first time in six years.
Reading’s top-scorer headed home his 17th goal of the campaign after just six minutes.
The result doomed Wigan to the drop to League One after just one season in the second tier.
However, Reading manager Jaap Stam told his players to up their game for the play-offs.
“That level today was not good enough for the play-offs,” Stam said. “We need to step up, we need to do better.
“We’ve haven’t done today what we can do. For what reason, I don’t know.
“Every game in the play-offs is totally different than what it can be in the league and it’s already a big achievement for us that we’re up there.
“There’s no pressure on us. You’ve got to
The former Preston midfielder picked the perfect time to notch his first goal of the season – firing home the decider two minutes before the interval.
Newcastle’s 2-0 win at Cardiff on Friday put them a point behind the Seagulls and this shock win means the title will be decided on Sunday when Rafael Benitez’s men entertain Barnsley while Brighton are at Aston Villa.
Chris Hughton’s side were hoping to seal a fourth title in 16 years since returning to play in Brighton but City produced a tremendous battling display to guarantee safety with a fourth win in five.
A record Amex crowd of 30,338 were hoping to see the Seagulls equal a club record of 29 victories in a season but they were well below their best.
Goal-hero Brownhill said: “It’s nice to save my first goal for a day like today which means a lot to the fans.
“It was hard work before Brighton put on a good show and fully deserve to go up but we did well tonight.
“We’ve been hard to beat in recent weeks and we fully deserve to stay up.”
Brighton’s leading marksman Glenn Murray had an opportunity to give his side a dramatic early lead but put a right-footed shot wide after bringing the ball down on his chest when City failed to clear.
Albion keeper David Stockdale, who has kept 20 of the Seagulls’ 21 clean sheets this season, was called into action when he punched clear a free-kick from Jamie Paterson in a quiet opening.
Tammy Abraham, City’s top scorer with 23 league goals, was off target in the 17th minute when he put the ball wide at the far post with an attempted header following a cross by Paterson.
City had won only one of their previous 17 away league games stretching back to late September, and Marlon Pack headed an Abraham cross wide before Brighton’s Czech international Jiri Skalak forced keeper Frank Fielding to make a low save from a 20-yard shot. Skalak was one of give it your best shot and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Of his players’ nervy showing against Wigan, Stam added: “For us, it was important that we made the play-offs now.
“It was not an easy game and we knew that would be the case. We were playing against a side that were fighting for their lives.
“We started well, aggressively and going forward. But we slowed down after our goal when we needed to keep on going.”
Wigan’s defeat and relegation was marred further by a serious injury to midfielder Shaun five changes made by Albion boss Hughton following last Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Norwich and the recalled Gaetan Bong later crossed for Murray who put a downward header wide at the far post.
City shook their lofty opponents by breaking the deadlock two minutes before the interval when Brownhill struck.
He rounded off a quick break with a lethal finish at the near post and beat Stockdale with a close-range header following a cross by Matty Taylor.
Hughton made his first change when Skalak gave way to Solly March, and German defender Uwe Huenemeier put a free header wide from 12 yards following a corner by the England Under-21s international.
Former Bristol Rovers striker Taylor should have doubled City’s lead after 61 minutes when he wastefully shot wide from only three yards after Joe Bryan had headed on a cross by Paterson.
Seagulls striker Murray, who had scored in his previous five home games, had a close-range header cleared when French winger Anthony Knockaert played in a dangerous cross.
Brighton stepped up the pressure as the match wore on and Israel international Tomer Hemed was unable to get on the end of a fine cross from strike partner Murray.
Stockdale came to Albion’s rescue after 85 minutes by diving to keep out a goalbound shot from substitute Bobby Reid, before Murray had a late header saved.
Bristol City defender Aden Flint said: “We’ve probably come here as the underdogs but we put in a great performance and got a deserved win.
“I have made a living out of heading and kicking and that’s what I’ve done today.
“I was in the right place at the right time for most of them.” MacDonald after a 50-50 first-half challenge with George Evans.
It was confirmed that MacDonald had broken the tibia and fibula in his left leg and would spend the night in hospital.
Wigan’s caretaker boss Graham Barrow said: “I didn’t think there was a lot in the challenge by Evans. It was just a tackle, it’s just an unfortunate thing that happened.
“I’m told the fracture did break the skin. It’s probably the third time that I’ve heard that noise, that crack, and I knew he’d broken his leg straight away.”
XX(KO 3pm unless stated) PREMIER LEAGUE LWDWDW...........................Arsenal Man United ......................... LWWDWd
(Playing Sunday, 4pm) LLWWLW ..........AFC Bournemouth Stoke ........................................LLdLLL WDLLWL ........................... Burnley West Brom ............................. LDDLdL WWLWWW ........................Chelsea Middlesbrough .........................LLLdLL
(Playing Monday, 8pm) WDWWWW ..............................Hull Sunderland ............................ LWLLLL WWWWWD ..................... Leicester Watford .................................. LWLLLL WWWWDL ...................... Liverpool Southampton ....................... WLWLWL
(Playing Sunday, 1:30pm) WWdDWd ........................ Man City Crystal Palace.....................WLWWLW
(12:30pm) WWWdLW ....................... Swansea Everton .................................. DdLLDd
(5:30pm) LDLLWd ........................ West Ham Tottenham ........................... WDdLWW
(Playing Friday, 8pm) SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
(Playing Sunday, 12pm) WWWWLW .................... Aston Villa Brighton ............................... LWLWWL LLWWWW ....................... Brentford Blackburn .............................. DDLLWd dDWWWW ................... Bristol City Birmingham.......................... WDDLDL DWLDLW .................. Burton Albion Reading ................................ LLWLWL LWLWWL ....................Huddersfield Cardiff ..................................... LDLdLd DLWWDW ..................... Newcastle Barnsley ................................. LLLWLL DDWWLW ......................... Norwich QPR .........................................LdLLLL WLDWLW .................. Nottm Forest Ipswich .................................. DDLLWL LLLLDW........................ Rotherham Derby ..................................... LLDWLL WDLWWW..................... Sheff Wed Fulham ............................... DWWLWW dLLWWd ...............................Wigan Leeds .................................... WDLLDL WWWLdL ..............Wolverhampton Preston North End ................. LDDLLL
(Playing Sunday, 12pm) SKY BET LEAGUE TWO
(KO 5.30pm unless stated) WWWLdW ...................... Blackpool Leyton Orient .........................WLLLDL LWWWDd ......................Colchester Yeovil..................................... WDDLLL LLWLdD ....................Crawley Town Mansfield ............................. dLWLWW LLWLDW ............................. Crewe Barnet .................................... DLLLLW LWDLWW ............................ Exeter Carlisle .................................. LLLWDD WLDLWW ......................... Grimsby Plymouth ............................ WDWWDd WWLLDL ....................... Hartlepool Doncaster ........................... WdWWDL LLDWDW ............................... Luton Morecambe ............................ DLLLWL LLDWWW ............. Newport County Notts County ........................ LLWWDL LWWWDW................... Portsmouth Cheltenham ............................ LLLDdL WWWWLL .....................Stevenage Accrington Stanley .............. WDWWdL dDLDLW ......................... Wycombe Cambridge United................WWLWLL
LADBROKES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP LDDWWL...................... Dumbarton Falkirk ................................ DWWLDW DWdWLW ....................... Hibernian St Mirren ............................... LWLWDL DWLDLD ............................ Morton Dundee United ....................... LWLLLd LWLLWL ............... Queen of South Dunfermline ......................... DDdWLW LDWWDW ............................. Raith Ayr......................................... DLWLLD
LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE WLLWWL...................Airdrieonians Queen’s Park ......................... LDDdDL LdWDWL .............................. Albion Livingston.......................... DWDWWW DDLDDL ........................ Peterhead Alloa .................................... DWdWLW WLWLWL ................Stenhousemuir Brechin................................... LLWDLL DWDLWW ....................... Stranraer East Fife................................ LWLLLW
LADBROKES SCOTTISH LEAGUE TWO LWLLLL ............................. Berwick Edinburgh City ..................... LWWLLW WdDDDD................................ Elgin Cowdenbeath...................... LWWLDW DdLLDW ............................... Forfar Annan Athletic....................... LWWLLL WLLLWW......................... Montrose Clyde........................................LLLLLL DWWWLL ............................Stirling Arbroath .............................WdWWDW
Arsenal, Man City, Sheff Wed, Exeter, Grimsby, Stevenage, Morton, Queen of South, Stranraer, Berwick
AFC Bournemouth, Chelsea, Hull, Leicester, Liverpool, Brentford, Bristol City, Huddersfield, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottm Forest, Blackpool, Colchester, Luton, Newport County, Portsmouth, Hibernian, Raith, Airdrieonians, Elgin, Forfar, Montrose
Everton, Brighton, Derby, Leeds, Doncaster, Falkirk, Livingston, Alloa