At the time, it felt like the Albion we had come to know and love were back on track.

They had gone through a tough time before their 2-1 win at Crystal Palace.

But now a big cup tie beckoned, then a pressure free run-in and some very winnable home games as they looked to build on two successive victories.

There was the comforting thought that Anthony Knockaert – or Bravehaert as we called him in the run-up to the Palace game – had reminded us of the matchwinner he could be in Albion colours.

“Olé, Olé, Olé, six points, six points,” was the chorus from fans heading home as they celebrated a double and it seemed like the best of times.

That was 19 months ago. It feels much longer.

In hindsight, Albion’s most recent win at Crystal Palace - the venue they visit this Sunday - was the true final hurrah of the Chris Hughton era.

It was certainly the last league success they ever enjoyed under this command.

The final win in 90 minutes over which he presided at the club.

It was also the win which gave them comfort for a relegation scrap which was on no one’s minds at the time as they headed back south five points and 20 goals clear of 18th-placed Cardiff City with a game in hand.

Knockaert’s winning goal remains one of the best moments many Albion fans have enjoyed in recent years.

He hammered home off the inside of the far post, then ran to the nearby away section, poking his tongue out at home fans in the process.

Earlier, Glenn Murray scored away to his old club for the second successive season after being handed an unexpected start when Florin Andone hurt his thigh in the warm-up.

Andone was on a high at the time, having scored the winning goal at home to Huddersfield the previous week.

But Murray seized his moment in classic style.

It was a good day for largely the old guard who had taken Albion up and kept them in the elite under Hughton.

A look back now suggests it was a very different time.

Of the eleven who started at Selhurst Park, only three have completely severed links with the Seagulls.

But only three will probably start again on Sunday.

One of the three is Yves Bissouma, who was not a regular at the time and it seemed had not fully convinced Hughton (with good reason at times).

The Argus:

The other two are, predictably, Maty Ryan and Lewis Dunk.

The three to have moved on permanently are Dale Stephens, Martin Montoya and Knockaert himself.

Of the other five, Murray and Shane Duffy are on loan and may well have played their final matches for the Seagulls.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Davy Propper and Bernardo are all still with the club but the first two were being troubled by injury as we went into the international break.

Knockaert’s goal was his 27th for the club. It was also his last.

He played eight more games after this in league and cup before his summer exit to Fulham.

It was a different era. Albion won having had 37% of possession, four goal attempts and no corners.

They passed the ball 364 times compared to 611 by Palace.

(By contrast, at Everton recently, the Seagulls enjoyed 57% of possession, had 11 goal attempts and played 618 passes).

Murray touched the ball just three times in the first 18 minutes before opening the scoring with a super finish after a mistake by James Tomkins.

Albion were strong against set-pieces, surviving eight Palace corners without mishap. The goal they conceded came from a penalty.

In post-match interviews, Murray looked forward to the following week’s FA Cup quarter-final at Millwall, where Albion were terrible for most of the afternoon but won on penalties.

Then, an international break. And then, home games which looked winnable and would see them nicely into mid-table.

We now know what followed. Southampton (0-1), Bournemouth (0-5 with Knockaert sent-off) and Cardiff (0-2) before a come-from behind 1-1 draw against Newcastle.

Three points from the final nine games would have ended in relegation had Cardiff put any sort of form together.

Six games without a goal - seven if you include the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

Knockaert’s winner drove Albion to a high point under Hughton that day at Selhurst.

We didn’t realise there would be a cliff edge on the other side.