“Who’s bottling it now?” That was the defiant message of Brighton goalkeeper David Stockdale, as he hit out at those who’d predicted it would be the Seagulls who slipped up in the race for the Championship title.

And while he conceded that their job is not complete yet, slip ups from Newcastle United over the Easter period have resulted in Chris Hughton’s side sitting top of the table, seven points clear with three to play. Just one more win would guarantee they went up as champions having already confirmed their promotion to the Premier League.

And Stockdale, 31, has not held back in his thoughts about the title race, slamming doubters of Brighton and saying they only helped motivate them.

Stockdale told the Argus: “Even if they (Huddersfield) had won, we would still have been going for the title. I said in the huddle before ‘Forget about promotion, let’s win the title’.

“I give a team talk before every game. I said it before QPR (April 7) ‘Our dream is to be champions so let’s make it happen’.

“To come back after the international break when people were doubting us, some saying we were going to bottle it again, I just want to say to them ‘You’re welcome’.

“That just spurred us on. Bottlers? Who’s bottling it now. Not us, an incredible group of players, staff, from the chairman down.

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“Don’t write us off, we’ve still got a job to do. Let’s make it seven or eight on the spin. We can reach a hundred (points) now. There are boundaries now which will put a lot of smiles on people’s faces for a lot of months before we go into the Premier League and a different type of fight.”

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

Rafa Benitez had tried to put pressure on the Seagulls at the turn of the year as Brighton overtook the Magpies at the top.

At the time he said: “Now every team that will play against Brighton will see it as an opportunity to do something important and there will be more pressure on them.”

It was Huddersfield boss David Wagner who made the strongest of suggestions that the south coast side might bottle it, however.

He said in March: “Brighton have struggled in the past very often at the end of the season. Newcastle I am totally sure will (get promoted) but for Brighton we will see.”

But despite Newcastle’s indifferent form, it was Huddersfield’s draw after conceding late to Derby on Monday that has eased the pressure slightly on Benitez’s side, while also booking Brighton’s ticket back to the top flight.

Stockdale, meanwhile, also backed ex-Newcastle boss Hughton as the perfect man to keep them in the Premier League next season.

He joked: “We’ve got to consolidate and the gaffer’s the perfect man to do that. He’s been there and done that, I’ll leave it up to him.

“We’ll take it game by game and who knows we might be in the Champions League in the next two years? That’s a joke by the way! But why not, who said Leicester were going to win (the league)?

“Dream big, dream a lot. Everyone’s happy and what a time for the club. You’ve got to enjoy every minute.”