Brighton & Hove Albion have thrashed Blackpool 6-1 in the Championship this afternoon, thanks in part to a man-of-the-match display from Ashley Barnes.

Brighton began the game confidently. Will Buckley tested Matt Gilks early on, before David Lopez sliced wide after a good delivery from Wayne Bridge.

Ten minutes in, the home side took the lead thanks to Buckley's curling effort from 25 yards after Ashley Barnes had released him on the counter-attack.

Before long it was 2-0, as Andrea Orlandi's free kick was headed back across by Dean Hammond for Matthew Upson to bundle the ball over the line.

It could have been 3-0 minutes later, but Kirk Broadfoot was on hand to head Barnes's effort off the line.

On the stroke of half time, it did become 3-0. Orlandi played a neat one-two with Lopez on the edge of the box before stroking the ball home with the outside of his foot.

Things got even worse for Blackpool a minute into the second half when Lopez made it 4-0 from the edge of the box after collecting Barnes's cross.

Brighton offered the visitors a lifeline five minutes later when Hammond inadvertently headed the ball past his own goalkeeper from Matt Phillips's delivery.

It didn't matter, though, as Brighton continued to dominate before scoring a fifth with 15 minutes to go. Substitute Kazenga Lua Lua wriggled free on the right before cutting the ball back for Barnes to fire in.

Barnes got his second in injury time, flicking the ball in at the near post to rub salt into Blackpool's wounds.