Ricardo Fuller and Richard Chaplow sent Brighton to the bottom of the Coca-Cola Championship as Southampton secured a first away win since October.

Fuller struck his third goal in two games since returning from a loan spell at Ipswich and on-loan Chaplow hit his first for the club to cap a dominant display from Saints on their first league visit to their south-coast rivals since 1982.

The teams must have been relieved to get back to the business of playing football with off-field controversy dominating both camps all week - Brighton's proposed new stadium hitting another hitch due to John Prescott's clerical error and Sir Clive Woodward on the warpath amid talk of takeovers and boardroom splits at St Mary's.

But it was the visitors who made the most of the break in hostilities with Brighton, who remain seven points from safety, only waking up after the interval in front of a record 7,999 crowd.

Saints should have taken the lead in the 10th minute when Alexander Ostlund crossed to Chaplow but, with only Wayne Henderson to beat, the midfielder side-footed his shot straight at the Seagulls keeper.

And moments later fit-again midfielder Djamel Belmadi fluffed another gilt-edged chance, poking the ball wide after Henderson failed to hold a Fuller shot.

Fuller then missed a Chaplow cross by inches and both Darren Powell and Grzegorz Rasiak sent free headers over the crossbar as the Brighton goal continued to lead a charmed life.

Brighton's only first-half chance fell to Colin Kazim-Richards, who sent a diagonal drive into the side-netting, but the ball was soon back at the other end and Rasiak planted another header straight at Henderson.

Claus Lundekvam was next to try his luck, heading Belmadi's corner narrowly wide, before Fuller showed that Woodward's coaching techniques might be rubbing off by sending a long punt over the bar.

But the former Portsmouth frontman finally hit the target eight minutes before the interval, coolly firing home from 10 yards after Henderson had blocked his initial shot.

With scores elsewhere offering them a glimmer of hope of survival, the Seagulls began the second half much brighter and tested 37-year-old Saints keeper Kevin Miller for the first time when Gifton Noel-Williams headed goalwards.

Kazim-Richards then forced a fine save from Miller before Adam Hinshelwood put a free header wide from Richard Carpenter's corner.

Brighton should have levelled when Kazim-Richards sprung the offside trap and raced towards goal, but the young forward opted to take the ball round Miller and the keeper stretched out an arm to avert the danger.

And moments later the hosts were two behind when Chaplow pounced on Belmadi's cut-back and placed the ball beyond Henderson from the edge of the area after 63 minutes.

Noel-Williams forced another smart save from Miller with a low shot and sub Sebastien Carole twice went close but Saints held out for a second successive win to nudge Brighton a step closer to League One.

Teams

Brighton Henderson, El-Abd (Carole 53), McShane,Hinshelwood (Butters 85), Lynch, Reid, Carpenter, Hammond,Hart, Kazim-Richards, Noel-Williams (Gatting 83).

Subs Not Used: Mayo, Chaigneau.

Booked: Lynch.

Southampton Miller, Ostlund (Madsen 87), Powell, Lundekvam,Brennan, Wright, Baird, Chaplow, Belmadi, Fuller, Rasiak.

Subs Not Used: Potter, Smith, Cranie, McGoldrick.

Goals: Fuller 37, Chaplow 63.

Att: 7,999

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).