Pascal Gross scored the goal that could prove to be the one that keeps Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League as the Seagulls earned a vital point in their survival big against Newcastle United on Saturday. The Seagulls trailed to an Ayoze Perez goal after 18 minutes and looked set for a seventh defeat in eight games until Gross timed his run to perfection on 75 minutes to head in Glenn Murray's knockdown. The draw kept Brighton in 17th place but took them four points clear of relegation rivals Cardiff City, who lost away to Fulham earlier Saturday, with two games remaining. Ryan Babel struck a potentially deadly blow to Cardiff 's survival chances with a stunning 25-yard strike that secured Fulham a 1-0 win at Craven Cottage. The defeat means Cardiff are likely to join Fulham in the Championship next season alongside already-relegated Huddersfield Town. Somewhat bizarrely, Fulham equalled their own Premier League record of three successive wins as Dutchman Babel struck a fierce first-time shot 11 minutes from time to register his sixth goal of the season. The game was delayed for seven minutes in the first half after Fulham's Denis Odoi was accidentally kicked in the face by teammate Maxine Le Marchand. The defender was knocked out cold and had to be revived with oxygen before being carried off to a standing ovation. After a lacklustre first half, Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic blazed a wonderful chance just over from 12 yards and Cardiff substitute Bobby Reid hit the bar late on as the visitors mounted a storming finish. Cardiff manager Neil Warnock rued his side's profligacy and said the situation could have been different if he had a striker with the finishing prowess of Emiliano Sala, who died in a plane crash just days after signing for the Welsh club in January. "I am disappointed but could not have asked anymore of them. We couldn't have scored if we carried on till Christmas," Warnock said. "You see the chances, we should score some of those chances. "It is not like the Championship. In all fairness I thought we had found a striker in Emiliano Sala. I was over the moon to get him and he could have scored 10 goals for the rest of the season on his own." Southampton secured their Premier League status for another season after a thrilling 3-3 home draw with Bournemouth. The draw put Southampton in 16th place on 38 points, seven ahead of Cardiff with two games left to play. Fresh from scoring the <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/shane-long-unaware-he-had-scored-the-fastest-premier-league-goal-in-history-1.852969">fastest goal in Premier League history against Watford</a>, Irish striker Shane Long again got Southampton off to a flying start with a goal in the eighth minute, but Dan Gosling equalised eight minutes later. Long missed a sitter in the 24th minute, stabbing the ball against the post with the keeper stranded and the goal at his mercy, and it was to prove costly as Callum Wilson pounced to rattle home a rebound in the 32nd minute. James Ward-Prowse put the Saints level with a skimming shot that flew in at the foot of the post 10 minutes into the second half. Matt Targett thought he had put the icing on the cake for Southampton when he leapt to meet Yann Valery's cross, sending his header into the net to spark scenes of wild celebration. They were interrupted when Wilson scuffed home his second, but news that Cardiff had gone behind to Fulham had filtered through to the ground and Southampton were able to enjoy confirmation of their survival in the top flight. "It was a crazy game," said Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl: "We are very happy now. It was a tremendous match." Wolves gained a measure of revenge for their FA Cup semi-final defeat against Watford as they beat the Hornets 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Mexico striker Raul Jimenez gave Wolves the lead in the 41st minute with a header from Diogo Jota's cross. Andre Gray drew Watford level four minutes after half-time, but Jota won it for Wolves in the 77th minute as Nuno Espirito Santo's side consolidated seventh place. Crystal Palace played out a dour goalless draw with Everton at Selhurst Park.
