Brighton all but sealed a return to the top flight for the first time in 34 years with a comfortable 2-1 home victory over relegation candidates Wigan yesterday.

Goals in each half from leading scorer Glenn Murray and winger Solly March gave the top-of-the-table Seagulls their fifth successive win and put them on the brink of the Premier League.

Substitute Ryan Colclough pulled a late goal back for Wigan, who remain in the drop zone, but it could not dampen the home side’s celebrations.

Brighton can make sure of the Championship title with another win at Norwich on Friday and Seagulls manager Chris Hughton praised the club’s grit and determination last summer to keep the side together.

He said: “It had something to do with how the season ended last season, but I think it was more the fact that the players enjoyed being up that end of the table, competing, getting into the play-offs.

“I think it was a conscious decision that they wanted that again, and the signs were there early in the season.

“We recruited well early in the season, in the summer, but it was a real steely determination from the group of players that wanted to do it again.”

It would take Brighton losing all their remaining three games and third-placed Huddersfield overturning a 32-goal swing for the club to not be playing in the Premier League next season. But Hughton is leaving nothing to chance.

“It’s a performance today that apart from that last 15 minutes warrants us being where we are, we’ve been outstanding all season.

“It’s very difficult to talk in a way that I would like to talk because of course mathematically we’re not over the line yet, but I’m well aware that it would take a hell of a turnaround not to happen.”

Despite the fans already in party mode, goalkeeper David Stockdale knows there are still games to be played and wants to finish the season as champions.

“I wanted a clean sheet, as we all do,” said Stockdale.

“We made it a little bit hard for ourselves.

“We got a little bit complacent in the last 10 minutes, as if it was already party mode, which I didn’t like because we’ve got a Championship to win now.

“We’re not going to rest on our laurels — I know the gaffer won’t — we will literally be looking at next week now and trying to win the Championship.”