Brighton beat Ipswich to claim first Premier League win since November

Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter fired Brighton to their first Premier League win since November as they sank Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road.

Mitoma scored his fourth goal of the season and Rutter hit his third in two matches as Fabian Hurzeler’s side climbed back into the top half of the table, having been winless in their previous eight league matches.

Ipswich had jumped out of the relegation zone without kicking a ball after Wolves’ heavy defeat at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

But they are now back in it on goals scored after fluffing their lines at home again.

Kieran McKenna’s side picked up their first Portman Road win against Chelsea last time out, but they have amassed just four points from their other 10 home games this season.

Brighton, back in East Anglia five days after thumping Norwich 4-0 in the FA Cup, began the match on the front foot but without really threatening their former goalkeeper Christian Walton.

Mitoma tried his luck from the edge of the box and Joao Pedro headed goalwards from a corner but Walton, who made six appearances in nine years on the south coast, kept both out.

Seagulls defender Jan Paul van Hecke was convinced he should have had a penalty when he was wrestled to the ground by Wes Burns at another corner, but referee Tony Harrington was not interested.

Then, slowly, Ipswich began to threaten, first when Nathan Broadhead collected the ball near halfway.

The midfielder strode forward, cutting inside Joel Veltman before aiming for the far post, forcing a fine save from Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton’s Dutch keeper was called into action again moments later to hold a curler from Liam Delap.

As the first half drew to a close Omari Hutchinson also had a pop from long range, with Verbruggen diving low to his right to scramble the ball away from danger.

Delap had enjoyed a running battle with Van Hecke throughout the first half, but it was an off-the-ball barge into the back of Veltman which earned the striker a booking at the start of the second.

Pedro followed Delap into Harrington’s notebook, and was perhaps lucky not to receive more than a yellow card for a dangerous body-check on Walton.

The breakthrough came in the 59th minute when Yasin Ayari reached the byline and cut the ball back.

Matt O’Riley helped it on to Mitoma, who fired low through a crowded penalty area and underneath Walton from 15 yards.

Brighton almost doubled their lead five minutes later when Pedro turned and shot towards the top corner but Walton pulled off a stunning save to tip it over the crossbar.

Instead the second arrived eight minutes from full-time when Ayari’s low free-kick found substitute Rutter, who spun and slotted past Walton to wrap up Brighton’s win.