Mitoma and Rutter sink Ipswich to end Brighton's barren Premier League run

Yesterday at 04:38 PM

A first league win in nine for Brighton and the latest hard truth for Ipswich. The home side had been under little serious threat until Kaoru Mitoma, profiting from loose defending, scored just before the hour but were never in the game after that. They were smothered by visitors who chose to do anything but sit back on their lead, Georginio Rutter doubling the lead and ensuring a swift return to the relegation zone for Kieran McKenna's team. Brighton cruised home and, with players newly fit, will hope to have drawn breath for a march up the table.

The pre-match levels of respect between McKenna and Fabian Hürzeler had been considerable: two of the best young managers around oversee teams to be proud of, and there was another clear point in common. Both sides might wonder how their seasons would look if draws more regularly became victories; Brighton had tied six of their winless run while Ipswich, freshly out of the bottom three on goal difference, could point to the recent dropping of two points late on at Fulham.