Albion do not like losing under Chris Hughton.

Jamie Murphy is hoping it stays that way as they attempt to keep a proud record intact against Newcastle tonight.

They have never lost twice to the same team in the league since Hughton took charge on New Year's Eve 2015.

That statistic comes under threat at the Amex following the 2-0 defeat at St James's Park in August, when Murphy was on the bench but not required.

The Scot, who scored and starred in Saturday's convincing home win against Reading, told The Argus: "It was a diffcult game up there.

 

"Early on in the season as well it's sometimes hard to judge how the season is going to go. Since then we have obviously lifted it and gone up the table.

"You never want to lose against the same team twice in a season. We want to try and win.

"We want to try and get as bigger gap as we possibly can. They are all good sides around us, we know they will be winning games and trying their best to overtake us. We've just got to focus on ourselves and do the best we can."

The last team to do the league double over Albion were Bournemouth with a 2-0 victory at the Amex on the way to promotion in April 2015.

The Seagulls lost 3-2 away to their south coast rivals earlier that season under Sami Hyypia.

Albion were beaten only five times last season as they just missed out on automatic promotion - by Middlesbrough, Ipswich and Wolves at home, Rotherham and Cardiff away.

The four defeats so far this term have been at home to Brentford and away to Newcastle, Preston and Huddersfield.

The victory over Reading not only lifted Albion back to the top after Newcastle's draw at home to Bristol City, it also took them to 100 points in the last 46 league games of Hughton's reign.