Brighton beat relegated Wolves to boost European qualification hopes
Brighton kept their hopes of European qualification alive with a comfortable 3-0 Premier League victory over already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
Headers from Jack Hinshelwood and Lewis Dunk inside the opening five minutes quickly dismantled the division’s bottom side.
Yankuba Minteh added a late third to lift the south-coast club up to seventh in the table.
Chasing the top six
The commanding result leaves Fabian Hurzeler’s team just two points behind sixth-placed Bournemouth with only two matches remaining.
Securing a sixth-place finish this season could potentially be enough to earn elite Champions League football for next year.
The disparity in motivation between the two teams was glaringly obvious right from the opening whistle.
Lightning start sets the tone
Hinshelwood nodded in a cross from Maxim De Cuyper after just 35 seconds to register a goal in his third consecutive appearance.
Club captain Dunk marked his return to the starting line-up by heading home another De Cuyper delivery from a corner four minutes later.
The visitors failed to register a single shot during a dismal first-half performance.
Former Premier League defender Michael Dawson delivered a scathing assessment of the opening 45 minutes on Soccer Saturday.
Pathetic.Michael Dawson
Mitoma blow overshadows win
Rob Edwards’ men offered slightly more attacking threat after the interval and struck the woodwork twice.
However, the only genuine setback for the hosts was a second-half hamstring injury sustained by Kaoru Mitoma.
The Japanese winger was forced off the pitch in the 58th minute, casting doubt over his availability for the vital season run-in.
Despite the injury blow, the atmosphere inside the stadium remained joyous as Minteh fired in a powerful strike from inside the box late on.
The dominant victory provided the perfect celebration for manager Hurzeler, who signed a new three-year contract extension earlier in the week.