Brighton’s play-off hopes will rest on a rescue mission from Richie Towell

Chris Hughton needs his fellow Irishman to do him a big favour.

The former Tottenham coach saw his Brighton and Hove Albion side slump to a 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night  in the first leg of their Championship play-off. The home side at Hillsborough were much too good for their Championship rivals, and take a sizeable lead into the second leg next week. The game was a nightmare for the visiting fans, but there was some good news for Irish football fans, who got to see Richie Towell make his league debuts for the Seagulls. Towell came on for Steve Sidwell after the break, and showed some decent touches, without making a major impression. It did allow some people to make terrible jokes at least. https://twitter.com/football_league/status/731212880494891013 However the former Dundalk man is likely to be given a starting role in the second leg, as four key players, Connor Goldson, Tomer Hemed, Sidwell and Anthony Knockaert are all unlikely to be able to play in the second leg. https://twitter.com/FM_Ireland/status/731213754717863936 That should give the Irishman a chance to impress, although he has some work to do to try and convince the fans judging by the online reaction to his league debut https://twitter.com/BHAFC_NEWS/status/731226371712765952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw https://twitter.com/TadicTouch/status/731218614376861696 https://twitter.com/Conmort/status/731219409717563392 https://twitter.com/antocollins1/status/731222238935027712 Although with so many players out, maybe it's time for some positive thinking. https://twitter.com/Goringstrawb/status/731378265844269056 Or delusion. https://twitter.com/JoeBrowne5/status/731252963252015104 https://twitter.com/TheFinal_Third/status/731249835156905984 Speaking after the game, Towell revealed the match, which Brighton ended with ten men, because of the four injuries, was the oddest of his career. He told Seagulls.co.uk he hopes his club turn it around in the second leg.

“It was a freak game with four players going off injured and ending the game with ten men too. “In all of my years of playing, I have never seen anything like that. You maybe have one or two, but never four players going off injured. “It was great to come on, but to do so under those circumstances was unfortunate for the lads that had to come off, because you never wish injuries on any of your team-mates.