Albion boss Dean Wilkins has hailed big money signing Glenn Murray as "absolute class".

Murray's fine second-half goal maintained the Seagulls' hopes of forcing their way into play-off contention.

It was his fourth in five starts since Albion splashed out £300,000 on the former Rochdale marksman during the January transfer window.

Wilkins said: "I have forgotten about the fee now he is here playing for us.

"When you know you are a club with limited resources it's not easy spending that sort of money and credit to the chairman and board for doing that.

"He is absolute class. I thought he showed real quality in the way he uses his body and his little touches at times. He looks as though he is starting to settle in really well."

Murray rounded Oldham keeper Mark Crossley to slot Albion to victory in the 61st minute after a barnstorming run by Matt Richards.

Wilkins said: "I know Matt is capable of doing that. It is one of the things we have tried to encourage and the movement ahead of him from Glenn and the way he took it was quality, one of the best goals you will see at Withdean.

"I thought in the first half we were outstanding. We created chances and could have gone in at half time 2-0 up.

"Having not done that it is always a little bit of a concern because you know the opposition are going to try and sort themselves out but we withstood anything they threw at us."

The only disappointments were a first-half calf injury for Tommy Fraser and another attendance under 5,000.

Wilkins said sorry to those fans who did turn up for his team's time-wasting tactics to protect the lead after losing recently to two injury-time goals at Cheltenham.

"I apologise for that," Wilkins said. "I thought we were running the clock down a little too early towards the end of the game."

How good is Glenn Murray?