Boss Chris Hughton has saluted the "great strike" from Tomer Hemed which took Albion back to the top of the table.

Hemed turned past Cardiff defender Sol Bamba from sub Oliver Norwood's pass to lash a 73rd minute winner at the Amex tonight.

It was enough to edge the Seagulls past Neil Warnock's gritty Welshmen and back above Newcastle by two points and 11 clear of Reading and Huddersfield.

Hughton said: "It was a great strike. He'd missed a chance just before that. Probably that lifted his desire to get a goal and break the deadlock. It was going to need something like that.

"You sensed it was going to be a tough one. Neil's very good. He sets his teams up and they are a good side. I think they've got good quality.

"They had to defend well, but we did to, certainly some moments they had where we needed Stocko (David Stockdale) to make a couple of good saves.

The Argus: "And Shane (Duffy) pulled out a wonderful block towards the end (from Craig Noone) which I think would have made it 1-1.

"It was patience and trying to have that one moment, or moments, of quality and we managed to find it."