HERO GLENN SUCH A GEM
Nouha nails it
GLENN MURRAY took 70 seconds to hit his 20th league goal of the season – then turned provider as Brighton cruised to victory.
The striker set up Tomer Hemed for a second, with Uwe Hunemeier adding a third against a Birmingham side getting closer to the drop zone.
The Blues arrived at the Amex Stadium after three draws.
But after winning just two of Gianfranco Zola’s 20 games in charge, the manager told his side to put their defensive work first if they were turn things around. However that plan was left in tatters after barely a minute.
Midfielder Beram Kayal sprayed a pass into the path of Anthony Knockaert, who surged into the Birmingham box.
Right-back Bruno was steaming up in support, and when Knockaert played the ball into his skipper’s path the Spaniard served up a low cross for Murray to hammer home from 10 yards.
Zola’s men were shell-shocked, but instead of rolling over they rolled up their sleeves and showed some fight.
Eager
And they came close to an equaliser when Craig Gardner’s free-kick hit the woodwork.
Clayton Donaldson was leading the line from the start for the first time since Zola took charge and he harried the Brighton defence.
And when Gardner forced a save from Albion keeper David Stockdale with a low free-kick, it looked as though the home side were struck by nerves.
But that changed when Brighton struck just after the break.
Murray was at the heart of it as he headed the ball into the path of Hemed, who chested the ball into the net from three yards out.
In the 54th minute Brighton killed the game off when Hunemeier scored with a shot that took a deflection.
Che Adams pulled a goal back for Birmingham on 85 minutes, but it was merely a consolation.
The Seagulls are back on top of the Championship table – and crucially opened up a 10-point gap on third-place Reading.