Bournemouth 0-2 Brighton: Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso strikes see Roberto De Zerbi's side keep up remarkable top four push, as Cherries slip back into relegation zone

• e-mail

Evan Ferguson’s superbly taken goal goal enhanced the teenage striker’s growing reputation and strengthened Brighton’s unexpected claims to be contenders for the top four.

The Republic of Ireland striker, 18, produced an instinctive back-heeled finish midway through the first half for his eighth goal of the season, providing his side with the advantage until Julio Enisco settled the outcome in added time.

This was by no means a fluent performance by Roberto De Zerbi’s side and they had to work hard for the points. By the final whistle, though, they had tightened their grip on sixth place and moved to within four points of Tottenham, who lie fourth, with two games in hand ensuring Saturday’s meeting between the two teams at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will carry an extra edge.

De Zerbi admitted his side’s chances of breaking into the top four if they can conjure another win at the weekend.

Brighton returned to winning ways as they maintained their unlikely pursuit of top four finish

Evan Ferguson's first half goal ensured they took a deserved lead against strugglers Bournemouth

Bournemouth remain in trouble and in the bottom three after disappointing result at home

'We have to fight, we have to play and we have to believe,' he said. 'And today the players showed me they believe.”

The manager inevitably singled out Ferguson for praised but declared himself impressed with the character displayed by his side in claiming the win.

'Evan is very young,' said De Zerbi. 'His best quality is to score and it's a very important quality but I think he has potential to improve in other parts of the pitch, to play with the other players, to play more for the team.

'In my work I have to make results but I have to help my players to improve, to progress. But I think we can achieve our target with Evan. And for the other young players the same.'

He added: 'I'm very pleased for the performance, for the result, for the quality of play, for the mentality, for the character, for the win in a very difficult game. We knew before the game the difficulty we could find and for this I am very elated for the players.'

The outcome would not have been so straightforward had Bournemouth shown more composure in front of goal. Gary O’Neil’s side drop back into the bottom three and now face a trip to fellow strugglers Leicester on Saturday.

'The consequences are if you don't take your chances, you have to push hard and you can get caught,' said the Bournemouth manager. 'Their boy takes a really difficult chance, we had some good chances we didn't take.

'All the games are important, they all are, today felt massive. This was our sixth game in a row against teams in top 10 and we gave a good go in each of them. Tonight will hurt he boys, but they will recover and go again at Leicester.'

Brighton who were the more composed side in a scrappy first half and made the breakthrough with a superbly worked opening goal in the 28th minute.

The opening was created by Lewis Dunk whose clever pass sent full-back Pervis Estupinan free down the left hand flank. The Ecuador international delivered a low cross that was cleared only as far as Kaoru Mitoma who whipped in another low cross that was directed into the goal by Ferguson’s flick.

Bournemouth responded with Dominic Solanke twice forcing Brighton keeper Jason Steel to save. And in between those efforts, Traore was guilty of spurning his side’s best chance of the first half when he placed his shot wide after being sent clear on goal by Jefferson Lerma.

Brighton stood firm in the second half as Bournemouth went in search of the equaliser and finally killed off any hopes of a comeback when Enisco finished calmly for his first Brighton goal.

Gary O'Neil sought to ring changes to change the game - including introducing David Brooks - but Brighton stood firm

Julio Enciso's goal sealed the affair for Brighton as they continued their unlikely top four march