Brighton v Millwall match report: Gregory’s winner lifts Lions and puts Hyypia on the brink

Brighton & Hove Albion 0 Millwall 1

Sami Hyypia has been under pressure as his Brighton side have slipped into the bottom three (GETTY)

Lee Gregory fired Millwall to victory at Brighton & Hove Albion to pile the pressure on Sami Hyypia.

Hyypia, the former Liverpool defender, took over as Albion manager only in the summer but Brighton have gone from promotion hopefuls to relegation candidates in the space of four months.

The Finn saw his side slip to a third straight defeat, with a wretched run of one win in 17 games leaving them floundering in the drop zone.

Gregory settled the match with his fourth goal of the season. His 15th-minute strike provided a boost to Hyypia’s opposite number Ian Holloway, whose side arrived on the back of a similarly poor run of one win in 15.

Scott Malone’s low cross was only cleared to the edge of the area, from where Gregory played in Magaye Gueye and continued his run into the box. Gueye went for goal himself but his mishit shot became the perfect return pass to Gregory who lifted the ball over Brighton keeper David Stockdale into the net.

Brighton huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser but, with Darren Bent on his own up front, they lacked a cutting edge. Their best chance fell to winger Solly March, who met a cross by left-back Adam Chicksen 15 yards out but somehow missed the target.

Chants of “we want Sami out” could be heard from the home crowd during the second half, and there was a sense that time could be running out for the manager.

Brighton & Hove Albion: Stockdale; Saltor, Dunk, Halford, Chicksen, Gardner, Forster-Caskey, March (Colunga, 66), Teixeira, Elliott Bennett (McCourt, 73), Bent. Substitutes not used: Hughes, Adrian Calderon, Holla, Ince, Walton.

Millwall: Forde; Wilkinson, Shittu, Beevers, Malone, Martinez (Dunne, 89), Williams, Gueye (Abdou, 81), McDonald, Woolford, Gregory (Fuller, 83). Substitutes not used: Easter, Briggs, Upson, King.

Referee: J Linington (Isle of Wight).