The 2012-13 campaign was a season of soaring ambition and dramatic near-miss for Brighton & Hove Albion as The Seagulls, under manager Gus Poyet, surged to a spectacular 4th-place finish in the Championship. Leading the line was the relentless forward Craig Mackail-Smith, whose 11 goals were a vital contribution. The momentum built throughout the season, boosted by the mid-season arrival of Argentine striker Leonardo Ulloa, but the campaign ultimately ended in heartbreak with a defeat to rivals Crystal Palace in the Promotion Play-off Semi-Finals, a dramatic chapter in the club's push for the Premier League.