Brighton & Hove Albion have moved back to the top of the Championship table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Cardiff City in their rearranged fixture at the Amex Stadium this evening.
The Seagulls made it five home wins in a row and 11 unbeaten in front of their own fans as Tomer Hemed's second-half strike proved to be the difference in a match that was originally postponed last month due to heavy fog.
Brighton were without 15-goal top scorer Glenn Murray through suspension, but it took them just nine minutes to threaten for the first time when Hemed flashed a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
Cardiff, who were bidding for a fourth consecutive victory for the first time since 2013, soon responded with their first opening of the contest when Joe Ralls latched on to a cross from Junior Hoilett but was unable to steer his effort on target.
David Stockdale was called into his first serious piece of action midway through the first half when he denied Kenneth Zohore from a tight angle following a quick Cardiff counter as the Bluebirds looked to become just the sixth visiting team to score a league goal at the Amex this season.
Anthony Knockaert then sent a clever free kick under the wall and just past the post on the half-hour mark, but it was Stockdale who was the busier of the two keepers and he was called upon to deny Sean Morrison and Hoilett in quick succession shortly afterwards.
Allan McGregor's first major stop arrived with just six minutes remaining of the half, and the Hull City loanee was up to the task as he kept out Solly March to ensure that the two sides went into the break still goalless.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium in the opening stages of the second half, but it was Brighton who enjoyed the best sights of goal as Hemed fired wide and drew a save from McGregor before Shane Duffy failed to hit the target with a glancing header just past the hour mark.
The hosts began to up the pressure in the final 20 minutes when Connor Goldson and Knockaert both threatened in quick succession, before the deadlock was finally broken just a minute later as Hemed collected the ball in the area before smashing his finish past McGregor on the turn.
It could have been 2-0 with 12 minutes remaining when the ball fell to Jamie Murphy at point-blank range, but McGregor denied the midfielder with a fine save before Lewis Dunk put an effort just wide from the resulting corner.
Knockaert was the next to come close as Brighton looked for a cushion, curling an effort just over from the edge of the box with only one minute remaining of the match.
One goal ultimately proved to be enough for the Seagulls, though, as they leapfrog Newcastle United at the summit of the Championship table, keeping a league-high 15th clean sheet of the season in the process.
Cardiff, meanwhile, fall to their first away league defeat since November and their first loss away to Brighton since January 2002.
Barney Corkhill
