It's grim for Albion as Austin pounces (From The Argus)

It's grim for Albion as Austin pounces

4:56pm Friday 6th April 2012 in Sport By Brian Owen

Albion’s play-off hopes were dealt a blow as they lost 1-0 at Burnley today.

Charlie Austin’s 23rd-minute strike was enough to make it a grey day all round for the Seagulls at bitterly cold Turf Moor.

The only goal came after a low cross was drilled in from the right by Josh McQuoid.

Gordon Greer blocked Austin's initial effort but the ball rebounded back off the Albion skipper and his former Swindon team mate took advantage.

The striker coolly rounded Peter Brezovan before finishing left-footed as Gonzalo Jara Reyes and Inigo Calderon rushed back in an attempt to clear,.

Burnley clearly relished their chance to upset a play-off contender while Albion’s attempts to thread their way through met with frustration.

However the Seagulls were twice close to an equaliser very late in the half.

First Vicente fired just over from about 30 yards, then Sam Vokes saw his glanced header drift agonisingly the wrong side of the far post after a cross by Gary Dicker.

Craig Mackail-Smith was more accurate three minutes after the interval with a volley after his side’s best move of the match but Lee Grant thwarted him with a superb one-handed save diving to his left.

That was the cue for a second half which saw the Seagulls dominate in terms of possession and territory. They made a trio of changes and kept Burnley pinned deep in their own half.

But they struggled to thread a way through the massed claret and blue ranks in an increasingly bad-temptered tuusle.

And their hopes ended when Grant dived to hold a downward Adam El-Abd header deep in added time.