Chris Hughton: Brighton's victory over Brentford is the "benchmark"
ByPA Sport
Published 05/02/2016 at 23:57 GMT
Brighton boss Chris Hughton admitted his side`s comfortable 3-0 home victory over Brentford was the level of performance needed to sustain a promotion challenge.
Brighton manager Chris Hughton said his side set a "benchmark" against Brentford.
Image credit: PA Sport
The Seagulls climbed to third in the Sky Bet Championship with goals from Anthony Knockaert, Tomer Hemed and Jamie Murphy giving them their biggest win of the season and best under Hughton.
Hughton felt the win, before a crowd of 24,096 at the Amex Stadium, had set a "benchmark" and that he had enjoyed the three goals more than Albion`s first clean sheet at home for three months.
The former Newcastle, Birmingham and Norwich manager said:" The only disappointment is that we didn't get more goals than we did. To get three goals and a clean sheet was almost the perfect result.
"It is the level of performance we need for the rest of the season; it's a benchmark for us.
"We'll take the scruffy 1-0 results, but this is the level of performance we need. Earlier in the season we had some good performances, but this one is right up there."
Brighton went seven games without a win before winning their last three, and Hughton believes this run has given them the "opportunity to push" top two Hull and Middlesbrough.
He added: "Middlesbrough have strengthened by signing Jordan Rhodes and Hull have know-how and strength in their squad.
"We can only try, and have our aims. It gives us an opportunity to push (on the top two positions)."
Brentford have only won one of their last seven league and cup games and manager Dean Smith stressed his desire for them to be "more potent on the ball."
Smith felt his men were let down by "poor defending" for the first two goals and added: "For the first 27 minutes it could have gone either way and Brighton were very difficult to break down.
"Poor defending allowed Brighton to go 2-0 up and, although we had better moments in the second half, we need to work on our potency in the final third. Our final ball wasn't quite good enough."
Smith, who has recently lost defenders Toumani Diagouraga to Leeds and James Tarkowski to Burnley, felt his men were given a torrid time by Brighton winger Jamie Murphy.
The Bees boss added: "Murphy was the outstanding player and helped Brighton get momentum.
"At 2-0 down it was always going to be tough for us and, although we were a little better in the second half, it wasn't enough and there was a lack of penetration."
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