Kane on target as Tottenham eases to win at Brighton

Tottenham was far brighter than its host in the second half.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during a Premier League match against Brighton & Hove Albion at the American Express Community Stadium on Wednesday.

Tottenham Hotspur kept itself in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League with goals by Cristian Romero and Harry Kane bagging a 2-0 win at out-of-form Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday.

A dismal first-half on a rainy night on the south coast was almost devoid of goalmouth action until central defender Romero deflected in Dejan Kulusevski's shot in the 37th minute to open his account for the club.

Tottenham was far brighter than its host in the second half and doubled the lead with a textbook counter-attack rounded off by Kane's unerring finish in the 57th minute.

It was Kane's 95th goal in 139 appearance away from home in the Premier League, taking him past Wayne Rooney with whom he had previously shared the record.

Brighton failed to really trouble Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris as it slumped to a sixth successive league defeat although it is well clear of relegation trouble.

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Victory lifted Antonio Conte's Tottenham above Wolverhampton Wanderers into seventh place with 48 points, level with West Ham United.

Tottenham, which hosts West Ham on Sunday, is three points behind fourth-placed Arsenal which was in action against title-chasing Liverpool in a later kickoff on Wednesday.

"We got ahead in the game and then I think we controlled it. Overall it was a really good night away from home," Kane said.

"Sometimes you need a bit of luck to go your way to break the deadlock and that's what happened and from there we controlled it. We played good football we just have to keep winning games."

There was certainly a large slice of luck about Tottenham's opening goal. A rather languid move ended up with Kulusevski having a shot at goal and the ball glanced the leg of Romero to wrong-foot Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez.

Tottenham's second was clinical.

Brighton was actually enjoying its best spell of the game but when a move broke down, Rodrigo Bentancur's incisive pass released Kane who had timed his run to perfection.

The England captain drilled a shot low inside Sanchez's near post before the keeper had time to set himself.

Tottenham could have extended its lead late on with Kane having a penalty appeal turned down and setting up Sergio Reguilon whose shot was saved.