Brighton 1-0 Newcastle: Tomer Hemed's acrobatic finish ensures Chris Hughton's side win battle of the promoted sides and pick up crucial three points

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Last season Brighton were caught on the rails by Newcastle United as Rafael Benitez's team stole past them on the final day to take the Championship title. In Brighton, they said it didn't really matter but you can bet it really did.

Here once again there was barely a cigarette paper between the teams. But this time it was Chris Hughton's Brighton who withstood another late push from their rivals to hold on for an important Premier League win.

There was a whiff of controversy late on as Brighton's Israeli striker Tomer Hemed appeared to stamp on Newcastle's DeAndre Yedlin. Hemed denied it was intentional but we can expect the FA to take a look.

Tomer Hemed's goal proved the difference as Brighton picked up a crucial victory against fellow promoted side Newcastle

Despite being surrounded by Newcastle defenders, Hemed acrobatically hooked the ball past Rob Elliot in the visitors' goal

The Israeli forward salutes a record home crowd after opening the scoring only six minutes into the second half on Sunday

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS AND PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE 

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Ryan 6.5; Bruno 7, Duffy 7, Dunk 7, Suttner 6.5; Stephens 7, Propper 7; Knockaert 7 (Murphy 80, 6), Gross 7.5, March 7; Hemed 8

Subs not used: Hunemeier, Izquierdo Mena, Schelotto, Rosenior, Krul, Brown

Goals: Hemed 51

Yellow cards: Knockaert 13, Duffy 76

Manager: Chris Hughton 7 

Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Elliot 6.5; Clark 6.5, Yedlin 6.5, Lascelles 6.5, Mbemba 6.5 (Gamez 82, 6); Hayden 7 (Shelvey 66, 6.5), Merino 7; Ritchie 7, Perez 7, Atsu 7; Joselu 6 (Gayle 70, 6)

Subs not used: Murphy, Diame, Manquillo, Darlow

Yellow cards: Lascelles 90

Manager: Rafa Benitez 6 

Attendance: 30,486

Referee: Andre Marriner 7

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Hemed scored the only goal of the game early in the second half after reacting quickest to Dale Stephens' header across goal.

For more see Sportsmail's excellent MATCH ZONE. 

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More importantly, though, was Hemed's winning goal, his second of the season and one that was enough to give his manager victory against the club who sacked him seven years ago.

Hughton isn't a man who holds grudges. Indeed last season he was vocal regarding his desire to see Newcastle promoted alongside his current club. Still, though, he wouldn't be human if he didn't enjoy this victory. He has suffered at the hands of Newcastle before and, for the sake of Brighton's league hopes heading in to autumn, it was important he didn't suffer again here.

If Brighton are to extend their stay in the Premier League for more than a season then these are the games they will need to win. There are glamour games around almost every corner but it is not those results that will define your campaign.

Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles makes a crucial intervention at the near post to deflect a cross away from Hemed

Brighton defender Markus Suttner is put under pressure during the goalless first half by Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez

Anthony Knockaert puts his head in his hands after inadvertently deflecting Pascal Gross' goal-bound shot past the post

Hemed unleashes a right-footed shot during the first half at the Amex. Both sides created but wasted good chances early on

It is games like this – games against teams with whom you are more evenly matched – that will either keep you up or send you down and after beating West Brom for their first league win earlier this month, this was another crucial afternoon.

Newcastle will be disappointed. Benitez and his players came here on the back of three successive wins and lurking on the fringes of the top four. If that felt a bit strange before kick-off then it certainly does now. They looked short of a cutting edge up front here and gave away a very poor goal. That is never a good combination and a game at home against Liverpool on Sunday now threatens to set a sombre tone ahead of the international break.

Newcastle weren't particularly poor, just as Brighton were not particularly good. Indeed there was much of what we already knew.

Newcastle's summer signing Joselu, who missed a glorious early chance, goes down under the challenge of Shane Duffy

The striker found space to shoot from just outside the six yard box. But, under pressure from Davy Propper, fired wide of goal

Joselu lies on the floor after missing the glorious first-half chance. His side had only two shots on target before half-time

DeAndre Yedlin climbs well above Brighton midfielder Solly March to win a header during the eventful but goalless first half

Both managers know what they are doing in the Premier League so it will be rare that we see their teams really turned over. Equally, both teams lack a bit of quality at the top end of the field and that is what will threaten them the most as the season moves on.

Hemed's goal was impressive and came on the back of a good free-kick routine.

Pascal Gross drove a flat free-kick to the far post where Dale Stephens had dropped off in to space. The midfielder headed the ball back and down and when Hemed reacted first to the bounce he was able to volley it spectacularly into the top of the net from six or seven yards.

It was a lovely finish from the Brighton player and it will be a shame if he eventually has cause to remember this game for something else. But from a Newcastle point of view, the goal was a mess.

Tim Krul, who joined Brighton on loan earlier this week, was left on the bench for the clash with his former side on Sunday

March and Yedlin battle for possession later in the first half. Brighton were looking for only their second win of the season

Suttner challenges Newcastle's Matt Ritchie. The home side had most of the ball in the first half but could not break through

There is certainly enough height in Benitez's team to stop such a move at source and the way Stephens was able to disengage himself from defenders to set up the volley is something that will have irritated the Newcastle manager all the way home.

Prior to that, his team had been marginally the more progressive.

Mikel Merino brought a low save early on from Brighton goalkeeper Matthew Ryan while Newcastle forwards Joselu and Ayoze Perez were both off target – one wide and one high – after being presented with good chances in the first half.

All that Brighton had to show for their own efforts at that stage was shot from Gross that was prevented going in by his own team-mate Anthony Knockaert and a flick header from Hemed that drifted over.

Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez — who is renowned for squad rotation — named an unchanged side for the Premier League clash

Brighton central midfielder Dale Stephens tumbles to the floor after colliding with Newcastle forward Perez in the first half

Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden tries to battle past March. He was replaced by Jonjo Shelvey during the second half

But in the end it was a 20-minute spell at the start of the second half that settled things. Hemed scored and Solly March almost did, Elliot hacking his effort off the goal line. For a spell, Brighton were very dangerous indeed.

And when Newcastle came hard at the end, Hughton's team stood tall. Of note was a brilliant interception by Lewis Dunk as Jonjo Shelvey broke through and a last ditch header from captain Bruno among flying boots right at the death.

Hughton's handshake with Benitez at full-time was restrained and accompanied with a mere nod of the head. We can presume he was happier than he looked.

Brighton boss Chris Hughton, who made only one change for Sunday's clash, instructs his side during their crucial victory

Shelvey, brought on during the second half to help Newcastle turn the game around, collides with Bruno and Stephens

Joselu is left disappointed after another chance goes begging for the away side. The forward was replaced by Dwight Gayle

The former Liverpool midfielder fires a free kick at the goal during the second half as Newcastle failed to level the match