Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton has revealed his relief after the team secured a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United on the road. The Seagulls have been in a relegation tussle with Cardiff City in the past few weeks, but they have received a huge boost after going four points ahead of the Bluebirds with just two games to play.

Speaking after the game, Hughton highlighted that the team are not mathematically safe, given Cardiff can still leapfrog them with back-to-back wins despite their superior goal difference at the moment. He added that there was a sense of relief following the draw with the Magpies, considering the performance in the first half was far from impressive.

He said: “(It’s) a step, but probably my responsibility is really not to feel too much until we know that, mathematically, we are safe. We have two games left. The cautious part of me has to think that anything can happen. Cardiff are home to (Crystal) Palace in their next game and, if they win that one, then it’s momentum going into their last game at (Manchester) United. Certainly it’s a better feeling at this moment than it was at half-time. Relaxed isn’t the word. It’s relief from what looked such a poor performance in the first half.”

Newcastle took the lead at the AmEx Stadium through Ayoze Perez in the 18th minute and they managed to hold on to the advantage until the break. In the second period, the Seagulls sought to step up their performance by showing more intent in the attack front and the same paid dividends with Pascal Gross’ 75th-minute equaliser which ended a six-match goalless run. They are currently four points ahead of 18th-placed Cardiff, but a superior goal difference means that the Bluebirds need to win the remaining two games to have any chance of beating the drop.