Albion's Glenn Murray heads the winner against Luton (photo Simon Dack)

They may be clutching at straws but Albion are refusing to give up their fight for a play-off place.

All credit to the Seagulls for bouncing back from a couple of devastating defeats and recovering from 1-0 down with a victory which confirmed Luton's relegation to League Two.

It would have been so easy for them to roll over when the rock-bottom Hatters threatened to maintain an impressive home record out of keeping with their position.

Instead they responded with goals by Ian Westlake and Glenn Murray to claim only their third away victory out of 15.

Jonny Dixon, replacing the injured Nicky Forster, had a quiet full debut and was substituted after an hour.

Albion remain four points adrift of Leeds, who occupy the last play-off spot. The Yorkshiremen play their game in hand at Huddersfield on Tuesday.

Dixon's only previous appearance since his £55,000 move from Aldershot was as a substitute against Leyton Orient in February.

It has taken him time to settle in but the absence of 19-goal Forster for the first time since October gave him his chance to partner Glenn Murray.

It was the only change to the team beaten at Southend on Tuesday. Jake Robinson made an impact there as a second-half substitute but illness ruled him out of the squad.

Paul Reid was back in contention among the substitutes after an injury-ravaged campaign.

Luton were unchanged following their 2-1 defeat at Northampton last weekend, with former Seagull Darren Currie on the bench.

Ian Westlake may well have lost his place if Robinson had been available.

The on-loan Leeds midfielder, substituted against Southend and in the damaging home defeat by Port Vale, had two early opportunities to break his duck for Albion.

Both were set up by Murray, the first with a header from a Guy Butters free-kick which the Luton defence only half cleared.

The ball fell to Murray but his angled shot from eight yards clipped the outside of the post.

A couple of minutes later Murray's cross was fingertipped on to Westlake by keeper Dean Brill but he could only find the side netting.

Murray and Dixon linked up quite nicely on occasions and the Seagulls, with Tommy Elphick in determined and commanding mood once more, looked relatively comfortable at the back.

They have, however, been susceptible to conceding goals from set pieces and a corner from Paul McVeigh almost proved their undoing.

Don Hutchison, better known as a midfielder in his prime but operating nowadays as a centre half, met it with a stooping header as the ball bounced inside the area.

Michel Kuipers used his right hand to scoop it away and Keith Keane, following up, blazed over the crossbar.

Albion almost made the breakthrough with a set piece of their own in the 29th minute. Butters' header from a Dean Cox free-kick was pushed for a corner at full stretch by Brill.

The visitors threatened on the break when Luton gave away possession and Cox spread the play to Dixon.

His cross picked out Cox, who had continued his run into the box, but the little playmaker's header was comfortable for Brill.

Luton's best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes arrived shortly before the break while Albion were temporarily down to ten men.

Elphick had to go off for repairs to his nose - which was broken at Huddersfield recently - after a tangle with Calvin Andrew.

The Hatters almost capitalised on their numerical advantage, Sam Parkin bending to head a cross from Ed Asafu-Adjaye narrowly wide from eight yards out.

Manager Dean Wilkins, who was in danger of missing the game with a virus, steadfastly refused to throw the towel in after the Southend setback, demanding four wins in a row to keep his side's slim hopes alive.

They responded by getting the better of a flurry of three goals in the space of ten minutes at the start of the second half.

Luton took the lead in the 49th minute, courtesy of a gift from Kuipers. Butters expected the keeper to deal with the situation when Andrew got his head to a free-kick but the Dutchman's indecision was fatal.

Parkin nipped in between Butters and Kuipers to slot into an empty net from close range.

Albion were only behind for two minutes, Westlake making amends for the early chances he missed with a fine angled header from a deflected cross by Cox which looped in via the bar.

It was Albion's first away goal for over six hours and, as invariably happens after a drought, two came in quick succession.

Murray headed them into the lead in the 59th minute from another Cox cross, his seventh goal in 17 starts.

Murray's joy was matched by disappointment for his new partner Dixon. He was immediately replaced by Doug Loft and Luton introduced Currie for McVeigh.

Although at fault for Luton's opener, Kuipers made up for it with two important saves. In-between Albion's goals he parried Hutchison's glancing header at the near post from a Lewis Emanuel corner.

He also preserved the advantage provided by Murray by foiling Andrew after the striker had cleverly turned past Elphick to create space for himself.

Steve Thomson nearly emulated Westlake in the quest for his first goal for Albion. The former Falkirk captain and midfielder, latching on to Murray's dink into the box, had an effort from a tight angle smothered by Brill.

That would have given the Seagulls breathing space but they saw the game out comfortably to cling to the hope that they could still be two divisions above their victims next season.

5:06pm Saturday 12th April 2008

Print   Email this