Brighton boss Chris Hughton admits he was relieved to edge a point closer to Premier League survival after his team battled back to draw 1-1 with Newcastle.
Albion looked set to blow a big chance to move further clear of 18th-placed Cardiff following a poor first half which saw Ayoze Perez put the visitors ahead.
But Pascal Gross pounced 15 minutes from time to give the Seagulls a four-point advantage over their relegation rivals – as well as a vastly superior goal difference – with just two fixtures remaining.
Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds must now win against Crystal Palace and Manchester United to stand a realistic chance of catching Brighton and avoiding an immediate return to the Championship. “(It’s) a step, but probably my responsibility is really not to feel too much until we know that, mathematically, we are safe,” said Hughton “We have two games left.
Related: Brighton Need To Show More Resilience – Hughton
The cautious part of me has to think that anything can happen. “Cardiff are home to (Crystal) Palace in their next game and, if they win that one, then it’s momentum going into their last game at (Manchester) United. “Certainly it’s a better feeling at this moment than it was at half-time. “Relaxed isn’t the word. It’s relief from what looked such a poor performance in the first half and coming away from today’s game with no points to showing a really spirited second half, better quality performance that allowed us to get something from the game.”
