Brighton beat Norwich City at Carrow Road as Leandro Trossard's first-half goal lifted the south coast club nine points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Brighton took the lead midway through the first half from a sharp counter-attack in which Aaron Mooy found Trossard in the box and the Belgian calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner with a first-time shot past goalkeeper Tim Krul.
Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell, who have scored 17 of Norwich's 25 goals this season, both started on the bench and the duo failed to make an impact when they were introduced in the 67th minute.
Ireland U21 international Adam Idah almost salvaged a point for the hosts but his glancing header in added time struck the inside of the post.
Ireland international Aaron Connolly started for Albion and lasted 72 minutes, while Shane Duffy came on as a late substitute for the visitors.
Norwich stay bottom of the standings with 21 points, seven behind 17th-placed Watford, while Brighton remained 15th.
After Connolly fizzed an effort over from Mooy's free-kick for the Seagulls in the third minute, it was Norwich who took control.
But with chief creator Cantwell and top goalscorer Pukki left on the bench, the Canaries were not able to turn their early possession into clear-cut chances at Carrow Road.
Onel Hernandez - one of four changes made by Daniel Farke after Wednesday's 4-0 loss at Arsenal - was the hosts' most threatening player in the first half and he sliced wide after Emiliano Buendia's pass in the 19th minute.
The first drinks break of the afternoon occurred shortly after and the visitors soon went ahead when play restarted.
Norwich centre-back Timm Klose gave possession away in midfield and Brighton broke at pace with Neal Maupay playing in Mooy down the right, and he produced a fine cross into the area where Trossard stroked home from seven yards.
Seagulls manager Graham Potter would have been delighted with the 25th-minute breakthrough, but opposite number Farke will no doubt have been frustrated at another avoidable goal conceded by his side.
Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan was able to comfortably hold Hernandez's latest effort at the end of the half, after Yves Bissouma took some sting out of the initial shot.
It was almost 2-0 in the 50th minute when Mooy's free-kick from the left found Dan Burn and he diverted an effort just wide off his back.
Norwich responded five minutes later but Buendia's volley was blocked before left-back Jamal Lewis produced a wonderful ball into the area, which no one could get on to.
Josip Drmic's final involvement was a side-footed effort from range that Ryan dealt with easily before the cavalry arrived for the hosts.
Farke brought on Pukki and Cantwell in the 67th minute, with young forward Idah also introduced.
It was the latter who went closest out of the trio, but his deft header from Kenny McLean's free-kick in the third minute of stoppage time hit the inside of a post and was cleared.
Absolutely beautiful 3 points on the road that 😍🔵⚪️ @OfficialBHAFC
— Shane Duffy (@shaneduffy) July 4, 2020
Brighton were able to see out the final exchanges and there were big cheers from the visiting bench at full-time with another season of top flight football essentially secured.
The win moved Brighton up to 36 points - a total which kept them safe last season - and while Potter does not accept it is sufficient this time around he acknowledged, with Liverpool and Manchester City up next, the victory was significant.
"We have five more games to go and we know we are still fighting for points," he told BT Sport.
"This season has been a unique one so what has happened in the past you can't take too much from. We are in a strange situation - 36 is a decent number but we need more.
"It (the win) changes the narrative. If we don't get three points today, it's easy to say we have the two best teams next and we're under pressure.
"A moment of quality changed the match. The resilience, the ability to stick at it that has been evident for us since the lockdown.
"At this stage of the season, where we're at, three points is the most important."
