Sublime Ferguson backheel paves way for Brighton win

Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson scored an exquisite backheel as Brighton won 2-0 away to Bournemouth as the high-flying Seagulls move within four points of a Champions League spot.

Ferguson missed the 3-3 weekend draw with Brentford with an unspecified injury, but was restored to the starting XI at the expense of Danny Welbeck and quickly repaid manager Roberto de Zebri’s confidence in him.

FULL MATCH DETAILS

A week on from just his second Irish start in the 1-0 European qualifier defeat to France in Dublin, the 18-year-old gave the Seagulls a 28th-minute lead, backheeling the ball home from around eight yards out following Kaoru Mitoma’s low cross into the box for his fourth goal in 11 Premier League appearances this term.

The visitors added a second in injury-time at the end of the game when Pascal Gross fed another teenager, 19-year-old Julio Enciso, who easily beat Neto in the home goal for his first strike for the club.

Brighton are in sixth place in the table with 46 points from 27 games, four points behind Newcastle United in third, while Bournemouth remain in the bottom three with 27 points from 29 matches.

Bournemouth’s best chance of the game fell to Hamed Traore, who found himself one-on-one with Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele in the first half but put his shot wide.

Brighton midfielder Gross saw his shot superbly saved by Neto, but the visitors were left counting the cost of the three points after injuries to key midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo forced them from the pitch.

Bournemouth are away at fellow strugglers Leicester City on Saturday, while Brighton travel to fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in what could turn out to be a key battle for the Champions League places.

Elsewhere tonight, Aston Villa plunged Leicester City deeper into relegation danger on with a 2-1 away win after the home side played the last 20 minutes with 10 men and had a late penalty hope ruled out by VAR, while Leeds United came from a goal down to beat fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest 2-1.

Leicester, who parted company with Brendan Rodgers at the weekend, were undone when Bertrand Traore scored the 87th-minute winner for the visitors with a curled shot into the top corner moments after he came.

Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was sent off in the 70th minute after collecting a second yellow card of the evening for a foul on Ashley Young.

Ollie Watkins had put Unai Emery’s Villa ahead in the 24th minute, the on-form forward sidefooting into the bottom left corner after being fed through by Emiliano Buendia.

A quick VAR check confirmed that the goal, Watkins’s 11th in the league this season and in his 100th Premier League appearance, was good.

Harvey Barnes equalised 11 minutes later, a right-footed shot off the inside of the post, to lift the restless crowd in the King Power stadium.

Leicester, surprise champions in 2015-16, have not won a game in all competitions since 11 February and have lost seven of their last eight.

At Elland Road, Forest, who began the game in 16th place, started in confident fashion and Orel Mangala gave them the lead in the 12th minute with a well-worked goal.

But Leeds responded in superb fashion and were ahead before the end of a rip-roaring opening half.

Jack Harrison smashed in a rebound to bring the hosts level in the 20th minute and in first-half stoppage time Luis Sinisterra beat Forest keeper Keylor Navas with a clinical low shot after cutting in from the left.

Leeds continued to play on the front foot in the second half and deservedly took a crucial victory that fired them up five places in the congested lower reaches of the table.