Steve Sidwell's injury-time strike secured promotion chasing Brighton a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Monday night.

Dexter Blackstock cancelled out Lewis Dunk's 27th-minute header with one of his own five minutes into the second half and Forest looked the more likely to snatch all three points.

But after both sides spurned good opportunities it was Brighton who finally took one, as Sidwell - only on the pitch for six minutes - swept home the winner in the 91st minute after fellow substitute Anthony Knockaert had danced through the Forest defence.

The result left the Seagulls two points behind leaders Burnley and a point off second-placed Middlesbrough as the Championship promotion race reaches an exciting finale.

Image: Lewis Dunk had put Brighton in front before Dexter Blackstock restored parity early in the second-half

The first chance came when Brighton's Israel international Tomer Hemed found some space on the edge of the box and though he hit his shot well enough, it bounced several feet wide of the post.

Forest were conceding a host of free-kicks and it was to prove costly in the 27th minute when Jiri Skalak whipped in a free-kick from the left side. Lewis Dunk beat the Forest defence and the advancing Dorus de Vries to the ball on the edge of the six-yard box to power a simple header home, albeit with a slight deflection off Danny Fox.

Chris Hughton says Brighton were not at their best in their 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest

Forest started the second half brightly with Osborn seeing an instinctive low shot take a deflection that made Stockdale's work harder, although the keeper made a solid enough save.

And it took only five minutes for them to claw themselves level, after Bruno Saltor conceded a free-kick on the Forest left. Lansbury's delivery was enticing and Blackstock's header was just as accurate as he flicked the ball across goal and into the net off the inside of the post to make it 1-1.

Image: Henri Lansbury wasted an opportunity to put Forest in front midway through the second-half

Keeper De Vries had to make a fine save to deny Hemed after he connected with an acrobatic volley. But, shortly after Dunk had been booked for a bad foul on Gardner, Forest should have taken the lead when Blackstock fed Lansbury through only for the Reds skipper to lift a shot over the bar.

The same could be said for Brighton, however, when Hemed sent a fine headed chance inches wide. Blackstock then did likewise for Forest.

But it was Sidwell who was to decide the outcome with his injury-time strike.