Brighton and Hove Albion went to the top of the Championship table courtesy of a 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers.
Following a frustrating first half which saw minimal chances, the game sparked to life in the second period. Glenn Murray netted his 21st goal of the season after breaking clear, before Sebastien Pocognoli's superb free-kick doubled the score.
This seemed to buoy Ian Holloway's side and they halved the deficit through Matt Smith's header.
Frustrated Albion denied twice by linesman's flag in first half
The hosts had the better of the opening five minutes and three high balls into the Brighton box caused uncertainty. Uwe Hunemeier was forced to clear after miscommunication with goalkeeper David Stockdale, before the former Fulham stopper laid claim on a cross from deep that eased the pressure.
Young midfielder Ryan Manning had the first shot on target but could only curl straight at Stockdale from 25 yards as they hosts continued their good start.
The South Coast side were then inches away from taking the lead when the impressive Solly March's cross was headed away by Joel Lynch under pressure from Tomer Hemed, who would have had an open net.
This opportunity gave Brighton some confidence and excellent work from Anthony Knockaert in the middle of the pitch freed Bruno Saltor down the right, but the full-back's cross evaded both Murray and Hemed. Conor Washington then failed to find the head of Smith from the resulting counter-attack.
Two corners for Brighton each fell to March on the edge of the box. The England Under-21 midfielder fired wide from the first attempt before being the first Albion player to test Alex Smithies. Moments later, March's cross found Knockaert in space but the winger somehow scuffed his shot from 15 yards in unfamiliar fashion before seeing the ball cleared.
QPR's best chances in the first half came from counter-attacks and Washington almost opened the scoring after 30 minutes. The Northern Ireland striker recovered having slipped on halfway, before surging forward and driving a shot inches over Stockdale's crossbar.
Brighton's 20-goal man Murray thought he had scored number 21 for the season when he turned home the impressive March's cross, only to have what appeared to be the opening goal of the game chalked off by the linesman's flag.
Buoyed by the stroke of luck, Manning then tested Stockdale for the second time in the game, curling towards the corner from Ravel Morrison's pass, only for it to be held by the 'keeper.
Knockaert, arguably the division's best player this season, was being nullified by Rangers in the first half and struggled to make his usual impact. He tested Smithies just once when he cut inside and fired straight at the goalkeeper from 25 yards.
The first clear cut chance of the game fell to QPR five minutes before half-time. Smith headed down Luongo's free-kick into the path of James Perch, whose goal-bound shot was blocked. Morrison, making his first start since signing in January, fired the follow-up over the bar. At the other end, Brighton were once again denied by the linesman's flag as Hemed slid home Pocognoli's cross-shot.
Quick-fire second half goals secure Albion victory, despite Matt Smith consolation
Brighton were forced into a change at half-time with Lewis Dunk being replaced by Chelsea loanee Fikayo Tomori. Dunk was originally a doubt for the game through illness.
March, who was superb throughout, was the first to test QPR in the second half when his shot was deflected away for a corner. The resulting kick fell to March once again whose volley was also deflected behind. Murray then fired over as Albion finally began to find their groove, spurred on by the noisy 3,200 away supporters who travelled to London.
The deadlock was finally broken just before the hour mark. A few minutes of QPR possession was broken down and Murray sprinted forward with the ball. The striker played a neat one-two with partner Hemed, breaking the offside trap, before finishing calmly below Smithies.
The goal sparked life into Albion and they soon scored a second. Murray was felled just outside the box and after a slight delay, on-loan left-back Pocognoli wonderfully curled the ball over the wall and beyond Smithies via the underside of the bar.
Both sides stepped up a gear in the second half and Smith halved the deficit with seventeen minutes to go - heading home from a corner.
The hosts dominated for the latter stages in search of an equaliser and had a wonderful chance with ten minutes to go. A cross broke to Washington on the edge of the box but somehow he could only volley over. Stockdale was then forced to make a great block on the goal-line to deny substitute Idrissa Sylla.
However, for all the pressure, Holloway's side failed to find a route past Stockdale and his resolute defence - which had kept 30 clean sheets in their 60 Championship games before this fixture.
Thanks to the victory, Brighton leapfrog Newcastle United to the top of the table. The Magpies could reclaim their position with a victory away to Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow.