SEAGULLS HIT HIGH NOTES!

ANTHONY Knockaert led the celebrations from the main stand after Brighton ended their 34-year wait for a top-flight return.

Glenn Murray and Solly March kick-started the promotion party with the goals that mean they can wrap up the title at Norwich on Friday.

Thousands of fans stormed the pitch at the final whistle to be serenaded by Knockaert and the rest of the squad.

Twenty years after the club was homeless and on the brink of dropping into non-League, the Seagulls will be among the game’s elite. Chairman Tony Yp @8E N@EIFN Bloom, who bankrolled the move to the Amex Stadium in 2011 after 14 years without a permanent home, joined players and fans in the singalong.

Fans thought that Chris Hughton’s side would cruise past the lowly Latics. But the nerves began to kick in when it became clear the visitors weren’t going to roll over.

Centre-back Lewis Dunk almost made the breakthrough when Wigan keeper Jakob Haugaard spilled a cross but he recovered well.

But that was the only real threat before Murray pricked the tension that was building with the 37th-minute opener.

Survived

Dunk launched a long ball forward that caught out Wigan centre-back Dan Burn on the edge of the box.

Tomer Hemed picked up the loose ball and laid it back for Murray to drill home and move Brighton one step closer to the Premier League.

It looked like the floodgates might open when Murray headed home four minutes later, only for the assistant referee to spot Knockaert’s corner had swung out of play.

Haugaard failed to deal with a low cross afterthe break but Jake Buxton spared his blushes by blocking Hemed’s shot on the line.

The keeper then made amends with a superb save to tip Knockaert’s free-kick to safety.

But the pressure told when March added the 65th-minute second. The winger drilled a shot through Haugaard’s legs after Knockaert had shown why he is the Championship player of the year by creating the opening with a mazy dribble.

Wigan grabbed an 85thminute goal through Nick Powell but nothing was going to wreck Brighton’s big day.