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By Steve SutcliffeBBC Sport
Last updated on 5 minutes ago.From the section Premier League
Brighton have scored 10 goals in the first 15 minutes of games this seasonBrighton maintained their pursuit of European football with a narrow Premier League win over struggling rivals Crystal Palace.
Solly March's goal proved decisive for the Seagulls and punished a Palace side who spurned three good chances to take control of the game in the opening 10 minutes.
While Wilfried Zaha, Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise were unable to make the breakthrough for the Eagles, March delivered a clinical finish into the bottom left corner from Kaoru Mitoma's incisive pass.
Roberto de Zerbi's side always looked the more accomplished after that and move level on 42 points with sixth-placed Liverpool, while they are six behind Tottenham in fourth, with two games in hand.
The result will only deepen concerns at Palace of a relegation battle after a dismal 11-game sequence without a win that leaves them 12th but just three points above the bottom three.
In that period, they have managed to score just four top-flight goals and manager Patrick Vieira cut a frustrated figure in the technical area as his side's attacking shortfalls were again exposed.
However, he could have few complaints about the performance of goalkeeper Joe Whitworth on his Palace debut - a memorable night for the 19-year-old as he deputised for the injured Vicente Guaita.
The teenager, who grew up as an Eagles supporter and was also a club ball boy, was given little chance by March's unerring finish but kept his side in the game after the break by superbly saving Pervis Estupinan's low shot and an Alexis Mac Allister header.
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Rate players out of 10 throughout or after the game. The rater will close 30 minutes after the final whistle.
Rating range key1 = Give it up10 = Pure perfection
Brighton & Hove Albion
Squad number23Player nameSteele
Squad number34Player nameVeltman
Squad number5Player nameDunk
Squad number6Player nameColwill
Squad number30Player nameEstupiñán
Squad number13Player nameGroß
Squad number25Player nameCaicedo
Squad number7Player nameMarch
Squad number10Player nameMac Allister
Squad number22Player nameMitoma
Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
Squad number4Player nameWebster
Squad number19Player nameSarmiento
Squad number20Player nameEnciso
Squad number28Player nameFerguson
Crystal Palace
Squad number41Player nameWhitworth
Squad number17Player nameClyne
Squad number16Player nameAndersen
Squad number6Player nameGuéhi
Squad number3Player nameMitchell
Squad number8Player nameSambi Lokonga
Squad number28Player nameDoucouré
Squad number15Player nameSchlupp
Squad number7Player nameOlise
Squad number22Player nameÉdouard
Squad number11Player nameZaha
Squad number9Player nameJ Ayew
Squad number10Player nameEze
Squad number14Player nameMateta
Squad number29Player nameAhamada
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 23Steele
- 34Veltman
- 5Dunk
- 6Colwill
- 30Estupiñán
- 13Groß
- 25CaicedoBooked at 60mins
- 7MarchSubstituted forWebsterat 90+1'minutes
- 10Mac AllisterSubstituted forSarmientoat 88'minutes
- 22MitomaSubstituted forEncisoat 79'minutes
- 18WelbeckSubstituted forFergusonat 79'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Sánchez
- 4Webster
- 19Sarmiento
- 20Enciso
- 21Undav
- 27Gilmour
- 28Ferguson
- 29van Hecke
- 40Buonanotte
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-3-3
- 41Whitworth
- 17Clyne
- 16Andersen
- 6Guéhi
- 3Mitchell
- 8Sambi Lokonga
- 28DoucouréBooked at 27minsSubstituted forEzeat 45'minutes
- 15SchluppSubstituted forAhamadaat 80'minutes
- 7OliseSubstituted forJ Ayewat 70'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 22ÉdouardSubstituted forMatetaat 79'minutes
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 2Ward
- 4Milivojevic
- 5Tomkins
- 9J Ayew
- 10Eze
- 14Mateta
- 26Richards
- 29Ahamada
- 63Goodman
Referee:Peter Bankes
Attendance:30,933
Live Text
Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Crystal Palace 0.
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 1, Crystal Palace 0.
Levi Colwill (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace).
Attempt missed. Naouirou Ahamada (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Eberechi Eze.
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Adam Webster replaces Solly March.
Levi Colwill (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace).
Attempt missed. Julio Enciso (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Pascal Groß.
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Jeremy Sarmiento replaces Alexis Mac Allister.
Julio Enciso (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace).
Moisés Caicedo (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace).
Attempt blocked. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Eberechi Eze.
Attempt missed. Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Pervis Estupiñán.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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