Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Ipswich Town 2.
BrightonBrighton & Hove Albion0IpswichIpswich Town2
Ipswich moved to within five points of the Championship top six with a win at fellow play-off contenders Brighton.
The visitors scored when goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak misjudged Stephen Hunt's corner and Daryl Murphy's header was tapped in by defender Tommy Smith.
Leonardo Ulloa almost levelled nine minutes later but his header from Jesse Lingard's cross went narrowly wide.
Ipswich doubled their advantage with 10 minutes left through Murphy's header after a delivery from Jonny Williams.
The result keeps Ipswich in ninth position in the Championship, but brings them a point closer to the play-offs.
Brighton, one place and two points ahead of Town, lost for only the second time at home in 12 matches in all competitions.
In front of a crowd of 29,093 - the biggest at the Amex Stadium this season - the Seagulls should have gone ahead in only the fifth minute when Lingard shot straight at visiting goalkeeper Dean Gerken after bursting through.
Brighton had a penalty appeal waved away when Lingard went over following a challenge by Christophe Berra before Ulloa's header was saved by Gerken.
But the visitors took the lead in the second half when Smith scored for the second successive match.
Ulloa, Brighton's top scorer with 12 goals this season, wasted a chance to equalise before Murphy's header secured a valuable three points for Mick McCarthy's side.
Brighton boss Oscar Garcia:
"Anyone saying that we didn't create enough chances hasn't been at the game.
"I don't look at the table but we have a game at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday and we're looking forward to getting back to winning ways.
"We created more than enough chances to win the game but we didn't take them so we have to learn, improve on some things and move on."
Ipswich Town manager Mick McCarthy:
"We've still got a chance of the play-offs. We've now got to play Derby and Nottingham Forest and we'll know more by the end of the week.
"We did the right things, took our chances and it was a huge win.
"It's a difficult place to come. Brighton are a good side in the way they play out from the back and play good football."
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-3-3
- 29Kuszczak
- 2BrunoBooked at 33mins
- 17Ward
- 4Andrews
- 3Greer
- 20Upson
- 18Forster-CaskeySubstituted forLua Luaat 61'minutes
- 38Ince
- 19Ulloa
- 30BuckleySubstituted forRodríguez Sánchezat 87'minutes
- 35LingardSubstituted forMarchat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Brezovan
- 5Dunk
- 6Stephens
- 9Rodríguez Sánchez
- 14Calderón
- 25Lua Lua
- 27March
Ipswich
Formation 4-5-1
- 22Gerken
- 4Chambers
- 3Cresswell
- 14Wordsworth
- 6Berra
- 5SmithBooked at 77mins
- 11AndersonSubstituted forTabbat 74'minutes
- 19Hyam
- 9Murphy
- 25WilliamsSubstituted forMingsat 84'minutes
- 12HuntSubstituted forGreenat 76'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Loach
- 15Mings
- 16Green
- 18Tabb
- 24Richardson
- 27Ebanks-Blake
- 35Nouble
- Referee:
- Darren Drysdale
- Attendance:
- 29,093
Match Stats
Home TeamBrightonAway TeamIpswich
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home22
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Ipswich Town 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Gordon Greer following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Luke Chambers.
Post update
Attempt saved. Rohan Ince (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Solly March.
Post update
Foul by Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Post update
Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Attempt saved. David Rodríguez (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Stephen Ward with a cross.
Post update
Kazenga Lua Lua (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Luke Chambers (Ipswich Town).
Post update
Offside, Ipswich Town. Luke Chambers tries a through ball, but Daryl Murphy is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. David Rodríguez replaces William Buckley.
Post update
Attempt missed. Leonardo Ulloa (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kazenga Lua Lua with a cross.
Substitution
Substitution, Ipswich Town. Tyrone Mings replaces Jonathan Williams.
Post update
Attempt missed. Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Jonathan Williams.
Goal!
Goal! Brighton and Hove Albion 0, Ipswich Town 2. Daryl Murphy (Ipswich Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.
Booking
Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
William Buckley (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town).
Substitution
Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Solly March replaces Jesse Lingard.
