<
>

Mohamed Diame scores 'goal of the season' for Newcastle vs. Brighton

Newcastle made the long trek to Brighton on Tuesday evening for a game between the top two teams in the Championship.

With the Magpies trailing in the Premier League promotion showdown to a first-half Glenn Murray penalty, the pressure was mounting on Rafa Benitez's men with a trip to third-placed Huddersfield coming up on Saturday.

Step forward midfielder Mohamed Diame, who produced what will go down as one of THE goals of the season.

Brighton goalkeeper David Stockdale could only produce a weak punch in attempting to clear an 81st-minute corner, it fell to Christian Atsu who completely fluffed his first-time effort from the edge of the box.

So poor was the shot that it was going to go out for a throw-in.... but not before Daryl Murphy stuck out a toe, which deflected the ball towards the heel of Mohamed Diame, and it looped up and flew into the top corner of the net. The despairing attempt of Brighton defender Fikayo Tomori to head the ball off the line was in vain.

Diame himself was quick to admit on Twitter that he perhaps didn't mean the shot.

But it would get worse for Brighton, as Ayoze Perez popped up with an 89th-minute winner to send Newcastle back above their hosts to the top of the table.

"Was it a sickener? Yes, and I don't think it was a result we deserved," Brighton boss Chris Hughton said.

Fair to say there'll be a little less pressure on Newcastle at Huddersfield now.