Gus Poyet today hailed "the perfect strike" which sent Albion on course for a convincing win.

Inigo Calderon scored from outside the box as the Seagulls beat Bristol City 2-0 at The Amex.

This fifth success in the last six home Championship games was less of a nailbiter than Poyet had expected.

The Albion manager said: "I was expecting a very tight and difficult game and sometimes you need something special to open it up.

"There is nothing more special than that goal. Two inches lower or two inches to the left and David James would have saved it. It was the perfect strike.

"I'm pleased for Calde because he is making a great effort to play, coming back from injury. He is desperate to play every game. It is the best he has played for a while."

Poyet was delighted with his side's performance, which was crowned by Will Buckley's classy second-half finish.

He added: "It was probably our best performance of the last two months. Of course there are reasons.

"We didn't have too many options, the team practically picked itself. We had two players on the bench who didn't train much (Will Hoskins and Vicente) and we got two injuries in the first 25 minutes.

"If you put all that together and the way we controlled it and passed the ball and the goals we scored that is one of the best (displays) without any doubt."

Craig Mackail-Smith (bruised and swollen left eye) and Jake Forster-Caskey (dead leg) both left the action in the first half-hour while illness denied Ryan Harley any chance of figuring in the matchday 16.