Brighton win at Wolves to maintain European bid

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Brighton maintained their push for a place in Europe next season with a 2-0 win over Wolves at Molineux.

Danny Welbeck scored from the penalty spot before half-time, and substitute Brajan Gruda grabbed his first goal for the club late in the second half.

Matheus Cunha came closest to scoring for Wolves when his hooked shot brought a superb save out of Bart Verbruggen.

The Seagulls lie in ninth place, level on points with Brentford one place above them in the Premier League.

The home side had spurned several chances before the break, and were the better team for much of the second period after a triple substitution by manager Vitor Pereira.

Welbeck, 34, reached 10 goals in a Premier League season for the first time since his debut for Manchester United in April 2009.

The 20-year-old Gruda, signed from Mainz last summer, was congratulated in particular by Welbeck after his delicate chip over Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa doubled Brighton’s lead after 85 minutes.

The result leaves Brighton hopeful of a second European campaign with two league games of the season remaining, as well as much depending on results elsewhere.

Seagulls hitting stride at right time

Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who had won just one game in their past seven prior to the visit to Molineux, looked to be hitting their stride nicely after the halfway point of the first period.

Welbeck was celebrating what he was convinced was his 10th goal of the season when he stroked the ball low past Sa, but Yankuba Minteh was adjudged to have interfered with play beyond the former England forward.

But it scarcely mattered when Welbeck sent Sa the wrong way from the penalty spot shortly afterwards, following Matheus Cunha’s foul on Mats Wieffer.

The Seagulls were on the backfoot for much of the second half, struggling to contain a Wolves side rejuvenated by Pereira’s changes after the break.

However, Gruda took advantage when a pass was deflected into his path by Wolves’ Andre to notch his first goal in his 19th appearance for the south-coast club.

Hurzeler has played down his team’s European chances, but a win over champions Liverpool at Amex Stadium on Monday, 19 May may have the youngest-ever head coach in the Premier League changing his tune.

Wolves fading after hopeful April

Wolves’ season, which included a run of five consecutive wins in April, could be in danger of fading away after a second consecutive loss where they failed to score.

They will rue the chances they missed, especially in the first half, including Goncalo Guedes’ flick over the bar when unmarked in the penalty area and Marshall Munetsi’s headers that lacked venom.

But Pereira rolled the dice when introducing Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Pablo Sarabia and Jorgen Strand Larsen just before the hour – and the move almost paid off.

The hosts enjoyed their best spell as the game opened up, with Verbruggen keeping Brighton ahead when he saved a deflection from Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.

But they ran out of steam towards the end, and their remaining fixtures at Crystal Palace and at home to Brentford give them some hope of finishing mid-table to prove that April’s run was no fluke.

[BBC]