Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy: 'We were beaten by the better team'

Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy has conceded that his side were beaten by the "better team" in their 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Seagulls raced into a 2-0 lead at Portman Road through strikes from Kazenga LuaLua and Dale Stephens, but McCarthy's men battled back thanks to goals from Freddie Sears and David McGoldrick.

However, Tomer Hemed fired Brighton to the three points as his 67th-minute strike decided the match.

McCarthy told BBC Sport: "I think Brighton are a very good side, they started well and were the better team. "In the first half they were excellent - you have to give them credit. But I thought our response in the second half was great. "Then their third goal came off a deflected cross which wrong-footed my defenders, though we also made a few little errors leading up to it. Now we know what everyone else feels like."

Ipswich are third in the Championship after five matches this season.