A DOUBLE FROM Glenn Murray gave Brighton and Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton plenty to smile about in his 100th Premier League match as they eased to a 3-0 win over a dire West Ham on Friday.
Murray’s brace — taking his tally to five in seven meetings with the Hammers — and a delightful effort by Colombian international Jose Izquierdo gave Brighton their first away win of the season and the Seagulls’ first in the top flight since 1983.
Defeat for West Ham, whose fans voted with their feet midway through the second-half, will pile more pressure on manager Slaven Bilic.
Murray silenced the home fans in the 10th minute heading home German playmaker Pascal Gross’s perfectly delivered free-kick after the veteran striker easily shrugged off the attention of Pedro Obiang.
West Ham had very little to offer in attack and anything they conjured up was dealt with brilliantly by Brighton central defenders Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy.
Izquierdo made it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time unleashing a stunning curling right-footed effort after a weak challenge by Obiang which Joe Hart got to a hand to but was unable to prevent going into the net.
Hart had done brilliantly to deny Murray seconds before that by blocking an effort from the striker when one-on-one.
The hosts showed little spark or urgency in the second-half save one effort from Manuel Lanzini that just drifted past the post but it was little surprise when the visitors went 3-0 up.
Murray had just been denied by Hart again, after superb work by Anthony Knockaert, but then made no mistake from the penalty spot after Pablo Zabaleta’s clumsy challenge on the striker had been penalised.
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