HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 2, BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION 0
A Steve Mounie double in the first half put dominant Huddersfield Town on their way in a very confident win against Brighton.
The Terriers could afford to waste a hatful of chances in the second half before they secured an invaluable three points and leapfrogged their opponents Brighton to go 11th with 18 points after a richly deserved fifth Premier League win of the season and the first since the 1-0 against West Brom at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Town had endured a four game losing streak and hadn’t scored in six since Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre despatched Manchester United at the John Smith’s Stadium in October.
They looked a lot more fluent against Brighton who may have been feeling the effects of last week’s 5-1 home hammering at the hands of Liverpool and the Seagulls faded badly towards the end.
Izzy Brown started at the John Smith’s Stadium on his first return to the club who he helped win promotion to the Premier League and the Chelsea youngster got a warm welcome from the home support.
David Wagner rotated his side following their 2-0 defeat at Everton last week which left them looking over their shoulder at West Ham who won their first game under new manager David Moyes to put them just two points behind the Terriers.
In came Chris Lowe, Jonathan Hogg, and fit-again Steve Mounie, replacing Scott Malone, Danny Williams, and Laurent Depoitre.
Mounie almost capitalised on a defensive mistake by Brighton when a poorly cleared ball fell for the big striker whose left footed shot from the edge of the area had to be tipped away by Matthew Ryan in the Brighton goal after just nine minutes.
The Benin International didn’t have to wait long for his first goal since his opening day double at Crystal Palace as he bundled the ball home from close range at the back post after Chris Lowe’s corner was flicked on by Chris Schindler in the 12th minute.
Conceding the set piece won’t have done Lewis Dunk’s chances of an national team call much good with England boss Gareth Southgate watching.
Goals have become rare for Town, but buoyed by their first strike since the home win against Manchester United, the Terriers continued to press the visitors who couldn’t use the pace from their flanks in part due to Town’s pressing but also because of several ill-timed offside runs by Brighton striker Glenn Murray.
Mounie struck again before the break after Aaron Mooy’s cross was headed back into the mixer by Zanka and the Benin man pounced again with a header flicked inside the back post in the 43rd minute.
The Seagulls had been undone by a set piece again and failed to clear their lines.
Tom Ince could have been clean through for a third Town goal early in the second half but was muscled off the ball by two Brighton defenders as the Terriers outfought the subdued Seagulls.
Mounie ballooned a hat trick chance well over the bar after Collin Quaner’s cross had left him a free shot on goal. That goal chance had come either side of two golden opportunities for Elias Kachunga to score, both denied at close range by Ryan as Town remained in the ascendancy.
Nervous Brighton continued to run afoul of the offside flag as Town fans could afford an affectionate song for Izzy Brown when he was substituted.
Tom Ince had been feeding on half chances and was put through by Mounie towards the end but with a narrow angle to shoot for the young winger lifted the ball over Ryan’s goal without testing the Brighton keeper, Ince later wasted a free shot by shooting too close to Ryan when clean through.
Jose Izquierdo’s shot was saved as Brighton perked up and there was an ironic cheer as Murray finally got to test Jonas Lossl with ten minutes to go without incurring a flag from the assistant referee but the Dane had an easy catch to collect.
David Wagner gave Mounie, Ince and Kachunga a deserved rest at the end, with Depoitre, Williams and Joe Lolley coming on for his Premier League debut as the Terriers comfortably saw the game out.
MATCH STATS
Huddersfield Town: Lossl, Smith, Zanka, Schindler, Lowe, Mooy, Hogg, Quaner, Ince (Lolley 86), Kachunga (Lolley 89), Mounie (Depoitre 85)
Huddersfield Town Subs: Whitehead, Coleman, Cranie, Lolley, Williams, Depoitre, Hadergjonaj
Goals: Mounie 12, 43
Brighton: Ryan, Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner, Schelotto (March 46), Stephens, Propper, Brown (Hemed 73), Gross (Izquiero 63), Murray
Brighton Subs: Hunemeier, Kayal, Baldock, Hemed, Izquiero, March, Krul
Attendance: 24,080 (1889 Brighton fans)