Championship
BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion3ReadingReading0

Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 Reading

By Phil CartwrightBBC Sport
Sam Baldock scores for Brighton
Sam Baldock has scored 10 league goals for Brighton this season, including four in his last four appearances

Brighton took advantage of a slip-up by Newcastle as they beat Reading at home to go top of the Championship.

Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Bristol City gave the Seagulls an opportunity to go one point clear at the summit.

After a quiet opening, Brighton's Sam Baldock hit the post with a curling 20-yard shot before latching onto Bruno's lofted pass to fire past Ali Al-Habsi.

Dale Stephens set up Jamie Murphy to chip in the second and French winger Anthony Knockaert slid in a late third.

As well as leapfrogging Newcastle, who Brighton host on Tuesday, Chris Hughton's side created a six-point gap to third-placed Huddersfield.

Reading have taken only five points from their five games in February and Leeds' win over Sheffield Wednesday in Saturday's early kick-off meant the Royals dropped to fifth position, 10 points from the top two.

Chances were rare in the first 30 minutes but the game sparked into life with Baldock's superb shot against the upright.

Al-Habsi kept out Knockaert's low attempt before Baldock's opening goal, while Reading's Danny Williams had a header saved by home goalkeeper David Stockdale, who also denied Roy Beerens from close range.

The victory was secured in a frantic passage of play early in the second half, when Brighton defender Shane Duffy reacted quickly to clear a Williams header off the line, and then the hosts broke swiftly from the resulting corner to make it 2-0.

Knockaert's 11th league goal of the season, an angled shot from 15 yards, extended the Seagulls' unbeaten Championship run at home to 14 games.

Jamie Murphy scores for Brighton
Jamie Murphy's goal was his first for Brighton since 5 November

Line-ups

Brighton

Formation 4-4-2

  • 13Stockdale
  • 2Bruno
  • 22Duffy
  • 5Dunk
  • 12PocognoliSubstituted forTomoriat 83'minutes
  • 11Knockaert
  • 6StephensBooked at 27mins
  • 14SidwellBooked at 55mins
  • 15Murphy
  • 17MurraySubstituted forHemedat 77'minutes
  • 9BaldockSubstituted forAkpomat 82'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Hünemeier
  • 7Kayal
  • 10Hemed
  • 20March
  • 26Walton
  • 27Tomori
  • 28Akpom

Reading

Formation 4-3-3

  • 26Al Habsi
  • 2Gunter
  • 5McShane
  • 16Moore
  • 24Blackett
  • 6EvansBooked at 68minsSubstituted forKellyat 69'minutes
  • 23Williams
  • 54MutchSubstituted forSwiftat 57'minutes
  • 12McClearySubstituted forGrabbanat 72'minutes
  • 18Kermorgant
  • 7Beerens

Substitutes

  • 4van den Berg
  • 8Swift
  • 11Obita
  • 25Popa
  • 31Jaakkola
  • 38Kelly
  • 50Grabban
Referee:
Peter Bankes
Attendance:
29,613

Match Stats

Home TeamBrightonAway TeamReading
Possession
Home37%
Away63%
Shots
Home15
Away12
Shots on Target
Home5
Away3
Corners
Home6
Away5
Fouls
Home13
Away6

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Reading 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Reading 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Tyler Blackett.

  4. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Danny Williams (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Roy Beerens.

  5. Post update

    Corner, Reading. Conceded by Bruno.

  6. Post update

    Lewis Grabban (Reading) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Bruno (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  8. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Fikayo Tomori replaces Sébastien Pocognoli.

  9. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Chuba Akpom replaces Sam Baldock.

  10. Goal!

    Goal! Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Reading 0. Anthony Knockaert (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jamie Murphy following a fast break.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Tomer Hemed replaces Glenn Murray.

  12. Post update

    Attempt missed. Chris Gunter (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left following a set piece situation.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Yann Kermorgant (Reading) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

  14. Post update

    Lewis Grabban (Reading) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Steve Sidwell (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Reading. Lewis Grabban replaces Garath McCleary.

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Sam Baldock (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right.

  18. Post update

    Liam Moore (Reading) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Glenn Murray (Brighton and Hove Albion).

  20. Post update

    Foul by Yann Kermorgant (Reading).

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Brighton33218457263171
2Newcastle33224764273770
3Huddersfield3320584436865
4Leeds341941146341261
5Reading34186104745260
6Sheff Wed34177104233958
7Fulham331411856391753
8Preston341410104641552
9Norwich331561258471151
10Barnsley34148125248450
11Derby33139113630648
12Cardiff34137144749-246
13Brentford33127145048243
14Birmingham341110133649-1343
15Ipswich331011123441-741
16QPR34117163748-1140
17Aston Villa33912123138-739
18Nottm Forest34107174658-1237
19Burton3499163447-1336
20Wolves3298153944-535
21Bristol City3396184450-633
22Wigan34710173040-1031
23Blackburn3279163750-1330
24Rotherham3445253277-4517
View full Championship table

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