Albion 3 Everton 2

This may well prove to be a landmark afternoon in Albion's new era.

So why not go out there and do it justice?

Graham Potter did exactly that after, for the first time, seeing his Seagulls side win a game they looked like losing.

Soaked through, in front of the North Stand, punching the air and smiling from ear to ear.

It was Oscar Garcia at Birmingham City in 2013, Gus Poyet in the press box after Doncaster in 2011.

Nathan Jones at Craven Cottage in late 2014, punching the air and shouting at the away end.

Or a modest Chris Hughton fist pump before straightening his jacket while no doubt doing cartwheels inside.

It was all of those - and more. A special way to mark, yes, a good win, but also maybe a significant afternoon.

It was certainly noticeable that Albion’s head coach referred to the previous week’s late defeat at Aston Villa two or three times during his post-match press conference.

That hurt. At the time and probably through into the week.

There was, Potter said last Thursday, an anger about leaving the second city empty-handed.

He won’t have heard it but the build-up to this one included chat about the new Albion not picking up results, however nice their football might be.

It was there from Martin Allen on talkSPORT on Friday, from BBC presenter Mark Chapman on 5Live on Saturday and probably a few others.

If they can play that well for periods and lose, what will happen when they are below par?

Well, they dug out a win. VAR and OG on a red letter day.

They battled and hung in on a horrible, wet afternoon and chiselled out a result. Not what Albion under Potter have been about.

Or was it? Look closer.

Yes, they were awarded a penalty which would not been given last season to get back level.

But the football, the tactical flexibility and the inventive use of personnel we have been treated to so far this term shone through in the quest for a win.

A point would have been good in the circumstances. No one would have really grumbled.

But Albion, with two players thrown on for comebacks after injury absences, in tough conditions and on a day when they were not at their best, stuck to their football and habits which are now becoming second nature kicked in to carve the winner.

A superb move from Maty Ryan, almost under his own crossbar, right through until Lucas Digne, almost under his, could only nudge the ball into the net in trying to deny Glenn Murray a tap-in won and lost the game.

Stunning. And a case of making your own good fortune.

“We maybe had a bit of luck, I don’t know,” Potter said.

“But you need that to get three points in the Premier League.

“Those who have watched us for ten games would probably say we have earned a little bit of luck.

“I am delighted for the guys their effort was fantastic.

“We had a sore one last week so to respond and getting three points was a good effort.”

Albion beat a decent side who looked in charge when Dominic Calvert-Lewin finished in style after Mason Holgate cleverly slipped him behind Adam Webster.

By then, Webster was already on the scoresheet in unfortunate fashion after a first-half tale of set-pieces.

Pascal Gross beat Jordan Pickford with a free-kick of formidable pace and a bit of swerve for the opener.

The German’s less well-directed delivery from out wide led to the Everton counter via Pickford’s punt which saw Webster get the final touch to a Richarlison header from a corner.

Ryan’s reflexes averted a second Webster own goal as he got a big deflection to a shot and Lewis Dunk denied Theo Walcott with a sliding block.

It felt, though, like the hosts had let the initiative go and hope of a result was fading by the time Webster chipped a ball in hopefully towards in Connolly in the last ten minutes.

Connolly’s fall initially looked insignificant but it was clearly not a dive and video ref Lee Mason took a long look. He spotted a clip on Connolly’s heal by Michael Keane and the rest will go down among the great Amex finales.

Neal Maupay scored from the spot and the hosts went on to grab their winner before seeing the game out in some comfort with possession play.

Potter said: “You have to keep fighting and that’s the thing that pleases me the most.

“It is hard for Brighton or any team to say ‘The only way we can win is by playing well and being the better team’.

“You have to accept that the opposition can make it difficult for you but you have still got to try and find a way, whether that is bit of luck, a piece of individual effort or skill, whatever, you have to keep fighting.

“That’s the thing that pleased me most.

“I feel for Everton because they put a lot into the game. Did they deserve to lose? No, I don’t think so but that’s football.

“The feeling of getting the third goal is wonderful. We probably this time last week (at Villa) felt like Everton feel now.”