Lloyd Owusu believes the great escape is on for Albion after one of the most important goals of his career.

Owusu’s second-half header from a Gary Borrowdale free-kick earned a precious 1-0 victory at mid-table Colchester yesterday.

The third-bottom Seagulls are now just three points adrift of safety with four games left after Carlisle lost at Huddersfield and Northampton were beaten at home by Southend.

Owusu, on target for the third time in ten games, said: “It was very important. It’s all about trying to stay in this division.

“No Brighton player wants to be playing in League Two. Hopefully that will be one of the goals that keeps us up.

“Gary has got a tin-opener of a left foot. He put the ball in with great pace and I just sort of rolled my defender to head it in.”

Owusu, starting his second match in three days, formed a new strike partnership with fellow thirtysomething Gary Hart.

He said: “The gaffer told me and Harty just give it 100 per cent and if we have to bring you off after 60 or 70 minutes then fair play.

“That is what happened. We are not getting any younger and it was hard but it was a good team performance and I believe we can do this great escape.

“We have got a spare game as well and we have got to make sure we don’t mess up now against Oldham on Saturday and fight like dogs again.”

On-loan Watford midfielder Al Bangura missed out after recovering from knee trouble and a virus. Manager Russell Slade revealed: “He was in the squad but we had to send him home with suspected chicken pox.”