Chris Hughton: "We should never have lost"

Brighton & Hove Albion boss Chris Hughton has slammed his side's defending in their 2-1 defeat to Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

The Seagulls fell behind to a strike from Tim Chow before they managed to haul themselves back into the game through Dale Stephens early in the second half.

However, Brighton were unable to hold out for the point as James Perch secured all three for the hosts, leaving Hughton to rue his side's mistakes.

He told Sky Sports News: "It was a game we should never have lost. We weren't good enough in that first half, and if you're going through parts of a game when you're not at your best, you've got to remain resolute.

"We've conceded what I thought was a poor goal in that first half, but what we did do was come out better for the second half. We got back into the game at 1-1, and for 15 minutes it looked like if one team was going to go on and win the game it was going to be us.

"You've got to either score - and we had a very good chance to do that - or you've got to be resolute enough to make sure you don't concede. We then conceded another poor goal and, at that stage, it becomes difficult because you've got to throw more men forward and it becomes even more open."

Brighton are six points clear of the relegation zone, but are still not mathematically safe from the threat of relegation with two games remaining.