CHRIS HUGHTON is pleased with Brighton & Hove Albion’s form after victory over Fulham on Saturday made it three consecutive wins, but he is refusing to get carried away with a series of tough fixtures coming up.
He said, “You can only ever judge the period you’re in and we’ve started well. We’ve played two games in the league and one in the cup, winning all three, but no team in this league can afford to start thinking beyond the next game because it’s incredibly early. But I have to be delighted with what I’ve seen so far.
“There isn't an easy game in the Championship; you look through the fixtures for an easier game, but there isn't one. We have got a tough period now, with seven games coming up and five of them are away from home.
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“It was a really good away victory on Saturday and we will try to get another one in midweek [v Huddersfield].”
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The Albion manager believes that the recent signing of Jamie Murphy from Sheffield United will bolster his forward line going into a hectic period of fixtures.
“He will give us a great and diverse option in the wide areas and can play on either the left or right side.
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“The good challenge for him is that he is going to be doing it at a higher level, after being successful at Sheffield United.
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“I am really delighted to have signed him. He certainly has a good record of assists and goals and it’s a very good acquisition for us.”
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He told fulhamfc.com, “I’ve got no argument with the award of the penalty but I’m not very happy with the defending to give it away. Hutch [Shaun Hutchinson] knows it was a rash challenge that we didn’t need at that stage of the game.
"Kazenga LuaLua had toed it away and it was going out for a goal-kick. It’s hard to stop yourself once you’re committed, but it wasn’t what we needed.
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“First half we were poor, they were the better team. We rode our luck and weathered the storm and were lucky to go in at 1-1, but arguably we could have gone in at 2-1 as Matty [Smith] hit the post in the dying embers of the first half.
“I told the players we needed to up the tempo and buck up our ideas and second half it looked like we were the only team who were going to win it. They made their changes to try and shore it up for a point and we got caught with a classic sucker punch. Two defensive mistakes led to the two goals.
“The fans haven’t had an awful lot to cheer about for the last few years now but you could really feel them start to get going in the second half as we were building momentum. They were getting right behind us.
"I’d have been disappointed coming off with a draw so to lose it is hard to take.”
[h=3]ALBION V BLACKBURN ROVERS*
[/h]SATURDAY 22ND AUGUST, KICK-OFF 3PM
[h=3]ALBION V HULL CITY*
[/h]SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 7.45PM
[h=3]ALBION V ROTHERHAM UNITED*
[/h]TUESDAY 15TH SEPTEMBER, KICK-OFF 3PM
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