LONDON: Brighton maintained their pursuit of European football with a 1-0 Premier League win over struggling 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.

Brentford maintained their own European push as Ivan Toney scored one goal and assisted another in a 2-0 win away to bottom club Southampton.

Toney tapped in Christian Norgaard’s flick-on after a Bryan Mbeumo corner in the 32nd minute.

And in second-half injury-time his header sent through Yoane Wissa who calmly doubled the visitors’ lead.

Victory saw the Bees move up to eighth in the Premier League table.

Southampton stay 20th, two points off safety having played one game more than most of their relegation rivals.

Saints’ best opportunity for an equaliser came shortly after the restart with Brentford defender Aaron Hickey blocking a Che Adams effort when keeper David Raya was beaten.

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.

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