Town missed out on the chance to claim the Championship’s top spot as they were beaten 3-2 at Brighton. Sam Baldock put the Seagulls in front in the 18th minute, Daryl Murphy struck back four minutes later with his 18th of the season, but Joao Teixeira struck on 38 and in first-half injury time to make it 3-1 at the break, with Freddie Sears pulling one back with his first Town goal with 12 minutes of the game remaining.
Cole Skuse’s return to the side in place of Stephen Hunt was the only change to the Town team which beat Millwall 3-1 at the weekend.
Skuse, who had missed the previous three games having been ill, took up his usual central midfield role with Jay Tabb switching to the left and Stephen Hunt dropping to the bench.
Noel Hunt continued up front with David McGoldrick out with his knee injury. New signings Paddy Kenny and Freddie Sears were on the bench.
First-year academy scholar Kundai Benyu, a midfielder, travelled with the first-team squad for the first time but was left out of the 18 along with Cameron Stewart.
Former Blues loanee David Stockdale started in goal for the home side, who made four changes to the team which lost 1-0 at home to Brentford at the weekend.
The Seagulls were without Craig Mackail-Smith (ankle), Greg Halford (calf) and former Blue Nicky Forster’s stepson Jake Forster-Caskey (hip) due to injuries as well as suspended defender Lewis Dunk, their top scorer.
At a freezing Amex Stadium, Town threatened for the first time in the fifth minute when Kevin Bru, fresh from signing a new contract, sent Daryl Murphy away down the left but the Championship’s top scorer’s cross was too long for any of his team-mates.
Murphy saw a shot deflect wide on 10 during what was largely a cagey opening to the match. The Irishman headed over from the resultant corner taken by Paul Anderson on the right.
The home side threatened for the first time a minute later when Chris O’Grady sent a dangerous low ball across the edge of the Blues’ six-yard box but skipper Luke Chambers was on hand to clear. From the corner Inigo Calderon headed weakly to Bartosz Bialkowski in the Town goal.
Seagulls keeper Stockdale did superbly to tip a Noel Hunt header over in the 17th minute after Tabb had chipped a cross to the edge of the six-yard box from the left, but the linesman’s flag had been raised for offside.
Despite the Blues having looked the more dangerous side, Brighton went in front in the 18th minute. Baldock brought the ball in from the left and as Anderson threw himself in to block smashed a 25-yard strike beyond Bialkowski and into the corner of the net.
Bialkowski saved low to his right from Teixeira on 21 but the Brighton lead wasn’t to last long. A minute later, Hunt sent over a well-struck low ball from the right and Murphy slammed home his 18th goal of the season.
Town weren’t far from going in front on 25 when Anderson sent in a freekick from deep on the left. Stockdale punched to the edge of the area and Bru headed only just wide of the post.
On 27 Murphy looked to tee-up Hunt inside the area but the former Leeds man scuffed his effort through to Stockdale.
Town were almost the architects of their own downfall on 19 when Skuse’s clearance was blocked into the path of O’Grady on the edge of the box, but Berra got across to challenge.
From the resultant corner, Hunt headed Rohan Ince’s looping header off the line at the post before Aaron Hughes sent the rebound onto the roof of the net.
Albion went close again in the 34th minute after Tyrone Mings had been harshly penalised when challenging Calderon, the Town left-back appearing to have been the one fouled. Danny Holla sent over the freekick and the ball eventually fell to O’Grady, who lashed over.
Three minutes later, the Seagulls threatened again from a set-piece, Hughes forcing Bialkowski to tip his header over from under the bar from Holla’s corner on the left.
The home side were looking increasingly dangerous and on 39 they went back on front. Teixeira was allowed to bring the ball forward unchallenged before cutting across onto his right foot and hitting a powerful strike which deflected off Skuse and into the corner of the net.
In injury time it got even worse for Town. Joe Bennett crossed from the left and an untracked Teixeira smashed a low shot into the corner of the net from the penalty spot. The whistle went soon afterwards.
There had been little in the game at 1-1 but Albion made the most of the Blues’ uncharacteristically poor defending - both from open play and at set pieces - and might have gone in front prior to Teixeira’s two strikes.
The same Town XI started the second half as they went about the unlikely task of overturning the Seagulls’ two-goal lead and claiming he Championship’s top spot.
Four minutes after the restart Baldock scraped a low shot well wide for Albion. A minute later, Freddie Sears replaced Anderson, the former Colchester man joining Murphy up front with Hunt going to the right.
Brighton went close to a fourth moments later when O’Grady’s shot deflected off a defender and Bialkowski had to use all his height to claim as the ball threatened to loop over him.
On 55 the former Barnsley man scuffed an effort after Calderon had found him on the left. Two minutes later, Tabb’s corner from the Town left found Berra but the centre-half was unable to turn the ball towards goal.
After Hunt had been booked for a foul on Teixeira, Berra headed another Tabb corner from the left into Stockdale’s arms.
Brighton should have gone 4-1 in front just after the hour mark. Teixeira made a superb run down the right beating two Town players before sending over a ball for Baldock on the penalty spot. The former MK Dons man took a touch before hitting a low shot which Bialkowski did superbly to save.
On 65 Teddy Bishop, who had been waiting on the sidelines for the right moment to come on for seven minutes, took over from Hunt with the home crowd by no ole-ing their side’s passes in their own half. Town had shown few signs of getting back into it since the break.
As the game moved into is final 20 minutes the Blues continued to search for an opening with subs Bishop and Sears increasingly involved in and around the area.
On 73 the former academy youngster worked some space in the box but saw his shot blocked. Moments later, Stephen Hunt replaced Tabb, before the impressive O’Grady was replaced by new Brighton loanee Leon Best.
With 12 minutes remaining new Town signing Sears set up a grandstand finish with his first Blues goal. Bru played in the sub on the right of the box and the striker hit his shot across Stockdale and into the net.
With four minutes left on the clock Town came within a foot of an equaliser. Mings’s cross from the left was cleared to Murphy breaking into the box. The Irishman touched it on to his left foot before hitting a low shot with the outside of his boot which beat Stockdale but went beyond the post.
Town continued to press in four minutes of injury time but aside from a couple of balls into the box the Albion defence was given little to be overly concerned about and, after Bru had been booked for taking out his frustration on the referee, the official’s whistle confirmed the Blues’ fifth league defeat of the season.
Mick McCarthy’s men were made to pay for the poor goals which were given away before the break.
They kept going and never gave up but breaking through a well-organised and impressive Brighton side twice was never going to be easy and clear-cut chances were far and few between.
The home side, who looked a much better team than their current lowly position, saw the game out professionally and were always a danger when breaking with Ince pulling the strings and the excellent Teixeira proving impossible to keep quiet. Baldock would have scored a fourth but for an excellent Bialkowski save.
Sears took his first Town goal confidently and Town might have claimed what would probably have been an undeserved point had Murphy taken his late chance.
Tonight’s defeat and Middlesbrough’s 2-1 win at home to Cardiff last night sees the Blues drop to third but only a point behind the leaders, level on points with Boro, who have a superior goal difference. Town are next in action against Wigan at Portman Road a week on Saturday.
Brighton: Stockdale, Bruno, Greer, Hughes, Bennett, Holla, Ince, Calderon, Teixeira (March 87), Baldock, O’Grady (Best 77). Unused: Walton, Rea, Chicksen, McCour, Colunga.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Mings, Berra, Smith, Skuse, Bru, Anderson (Sears 50), Tabb (S Hunt 74), N Hunt (Bishop 66), Murphy. Unused: Kenny, Parr, Clarke, Ambrose. Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire). Att: 23,880 (Town: 923).