Solly March’s timely goal boosted Brighton’s bid for Europe as they sank derby rivals Crystal Palace 1-0 in the Premier League.
March scored the winning goal in the 15th minute – March 15 – and lifted the Seagulls by points with sixth-placed Liverpool with a game to play.
It also provided a double celebration for Brighton chairman Tony Bloom after his horse Energumene won the Champion Chase at Cheltenham.
However, Palace’s problems escalate after their winless streak stretched to 11 games.
They were forced to hand teenage goalkeeper Joe Whitworth his professional debut with regular No. 1 Vicente Guaita and substitute Sam Johnston, both injured.
At 19 years and 15 days old, Whitworth was the youngest goalkeeper to feature in a Premier League match since Ben Alnwick played for Sunderland in December 2005.
The former Palace ballboy started nervously with an unconvincing header outside the box, but Brighton couldn’t punish him.
However, Jason Steele was the busier goalkeeper in the opening stages, despite Palace failing to score in the last three matches.
Wilfried Zaha at least fixed this particular bug early on when he was testing the Angle Drive Steele.
Steele saved with a knee after Joachim Andersen’s through-pass split the Brighton defense and sent Michael Olise into goal before Odsonne Edouard’s strike.
Whitworth had his first decent touch when he held a long-range shot by Kaoru Mitoma.
But he was defeated moments later when Mitoma sent March clean to find a net with a controlled finish.
Solly March put the game to bed
(PA wire)
Palace could have equalized before half-time, but Andersen volleyed a free-kick to Olise wide and wide.
They could also have dropped to 10 after Cheick Doucoure, who was back from suspension and already booked, knocked down Moises Caicedo as he was about to break through but somehow avoided another yellow.
The Palace midfielder was understandably absent in the second half, with Patrick Vieira replacing him with Eberechi Eze.
The second half was delayed after a lighting failure briefly plunged the stadium into darkness and referee Peter Bankes stopped the match, apparently because his headset was no longer working.
After the restart, Whitworth showed his potential with a stunning save, saving the ball from Alexis Mac Allister’s header from a corner.
Mac Allister almost added a second after a chaotic run and shot that flew wide, but Brighton ultimately had to hold onto March’s goal for nine minutes of added time.
Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi believes the fit winger deserves a call-up to the England squad, so his seventh goal in March this season was a useful reminder for Gareth Southgate, who named his latest squad on Thursday.
The 28-year-old also scored in last week’s draw at Leeds and if he gets the nod from Southgate it really will be March.
