Leaders Brighton beaten at Huddersfield

Huddersfield showed their promotion credentials with an impressive home win over Brighton, who missed the chance to extend their Championship lead.

The Seagulls remain one point ahead of second-placed Newcastle.

Tommy Smith’s angled shot put the hosts in front before Tomer Hemed rounded the goalkeeper to equalise.

Nahki Wells fired into the top corner and Elias Kachunga nodded in to make it 3-1 before half-time, and Lewis Dunk’s red card added to Brighton’s misery.

Centre-back Dunk was sent off for a second yellow card midway through the second half for a lunging challenge on Izzy Brown, having been booked in the first period for a foul on the same player.

• Relive Huddersfield’s win over Brighton

The Terriers’ seventh win in nine league matches keeps them fifth, but they are now just two points behind fourth-placed Leeds, who they play at home on Sunday.

Brighton, knocked out of the FA Cup by non-league Lincoln five days earlier, were uncharacteristically poor in defence and conceded three goals in a league match for the first time in almost 12 months.

The outstanding Rajiv van La Parra had already hit the post before full-back Smith’s attempted cross landed back at his feet, and his subsequent shot flew in at the near post.

Hemed pounced on a poor back header from Huddersfield’s Aaron Mooy to level, but that proved to be the only clear chance they created in the entire 90 minutes.

Wells’ excellent finish from just inside the box was his 100th goal in English football, and it was the former Bradford forward’s shot which goalkeeper David Stockdale palmed into the air for Kachunga to head in Huddersfield’s third from close range.

After Dunk’s dismissal, the fifth of his career, there was still time for Australian midfielder Mooy to strike the upright from long range and Stockdale to tip over a powerful attempt from substitute Kasey Palmer.

Huddersfield head coach David Wagner told BBC Radio Leeds:

“It was a good one, maybe one of the best this season. We scored three goals and had chances for more, and conceded a sloppy goal which was easy to avoid, but it was very good.

“We are fresh and still very hungry and greedy, even when we are humble and we know we’re playing against the best team in the division.

“We gave ourselves no limits, we try our best and today our best was very good.”

Brighton manager Chris Hughton told BBC Sussex:

“Every now and again you get a real bad one, and that was a real bad one.

“We were nowhere near the levels you need to play any game in this division, never mind one as good as Huddersfield, and on their own ground too.

“If we put in another performance like this at Brentford on Sunday, we will lose again. We need to be far better.

“Lewis Dunk has played the ball but he was already on a yellow and he’s given the referee a decision to make. It’s another one for him and something he has to learn from. We are going to miss him. It’s a blow.”

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