Hemed and Kayal enjoy positive results on international duty

Of the six Albion first-team players away on international duty during the two-week break from domestic football, it's fair to say the Israeli duo of Tomer Hemed and Beram Kayal would have come away best pleased from their time away from Brighton playing for their countries.

With qualifying for the 2016 European Championships coming to a close, Hemed helped give the Blue and Whites a realistic chance of at least securing a play-off place for the tournament in France next year.

The 28-year-old slotted home from the penalty spot in the first half as Israel sealed a 4-0 win over Andorra, with Kayal coming on in his place for the remaining 15 minutes.

The pair also played a half each in Cardiff as they prevented Wales from confirming their place at Euro 2016, holding Chris Coleman's side to a 0-0 draw.

There was also a positive run-out for two of the Seagulls younger players, as Jake Forster-Caskey and Solly March both featured for Gareth Southgate's England under-21 side. The duo came on in the second half during the 1-0 friendly win over USA under-23s in Preston, with March going close to scoring in his first international appearance.

The 21-year-old's deft chip looked to be heading into the back of the net, but it bounced off the base of the goalpost and away to safety. Forster-Caskey also came on as a second-half substitute as the Three Lions beat Norway in their first qualifier for the 2017 European under-21 Championships.

Albion skipper Gordon Greer and Niki Maenpaa were both unused substitutes in games for Scotland and Finland, respectively, with both countries facing an uphill struggle if they want to make the finals next year. However, with two qualifiers still to come next month, both sides have something to play for.