Brighton earn much-needed win over Ipswich Town

Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter fired Brighton to their first Premier League win since November as they sank Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road.

Mitoma scored his fourth goal of the season and Rutter hit his third in two matches as Fabian Hurzeler's side climbed back into the top half of the table, having been winless in their previous eight league matches.

Ipswich had jumped out of the relegation zone without kicking a ball after Wolves’ heavy defeat at Newcastle on Wednesday night.

But they were unable to put any more daylight between themselves and the bottom three after fluffing their lines at home again.

Kieran McKenna’s side picked up their first Portman Road win against Chelsea last time out, but they have amassed just four points from their other 10 home games this season.

Brighton, back in East Anglia five days after thumping Norwich 4-0 in the FA Cup, began the match on the front foot but without really threatening their former goalkeeper Christian Walton.

Mitoma tried his luck from the edge of the box and Joao Pedro headed goalwards from a corner but Walton, who made six appearances in nine years on the south coast, kept both out.

Seagulls defender Jan Paul van Hecke was convinced he should have had a penalty when he was wrestled to the ground by Wes Burns at another corner, but referee Tony Harrington was not interested.

Then, slowly, Ipswich began to threaten, first when Nathan Broadhead collected the ball near halfway.

The midfielder strode forward, cutting inside Joel Veltman before aiming for the far post, forcing a fine save from Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton’s Dutch keeper was called into action again moments later to hold a curler from Liam Delap.

As the first half drew to a close Omari Hutchinson also had a pop from long