GEORGI IS SO GORGEOUS

Ace Rutter slams door shut on losing streak with scorcher

- BY EDWARD ELLIOT

BRIGHTON banished a six-match winless run with a comfortable cruise over second-bottom Burnley.

Georginio Rutter gave the Seagulls a first-half lead on a bitterly-cold afternoon at the Amex Stadium before Yasin Ayari doubled the advantage early in the second period.

Substitute Loum Tchaouna came close to halving the deficit but Scott Parker's struggling Clarets remain six points from Nottingham Forest in 17th after their wait for a topflight victory stretched to 11 games.

Brighton began the day in 14th position after picking up only three points from 18 available during December, and they soared up to eighth with victory yesterday. Burnley arrived in Sussex having collected just two from a possible 30, dating back to October.

Seagulls forward Charalampos Kostoulas, who made his first Premier League start as part of four changes from Tuesday's 2-2 draw at West Ham, was denied a 10th-minute opener by a marginal offside.