Hughton says Albion missed an opportunity with Leeds United defeat

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton admitted his side missed an opportunity with their 2-0 defeat at Leeds United on Saturday.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)Brighton boss Chris Hughton. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)
Brighton boss Chris Hughton. Picture by Phil Westlake (PW Sporting Photography)

A second-half Chris Wood brace saw the home side seal the points at Elland Road as Albion failed to take advantage of their promotion rivals’ slips.

With leaders Newcastle being held to a 0-0 draw at Birmingham, the Seagulls could have leapfrogged the Magpies at the summit with a victory.

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Despite the result, Albion remain six points clear of third-placed Huddersfield Town, who were sent crashing to a shock 4-0 defeat at relegation battling Bristol City on Friday night.

Hughton said: “It’s a missed opportunity as every game we play is an opportunity to get points. It’s disappointing, not so much in the overall performance, because I thought we were better in that second half than that first half.

“Certainly on chances it was an equal game. Unfortunately for us, Leeds put away the chances and we didn’t.

“I was disappointed. I thought in the first half Leeds were better than us and had more of the ball with creating a good chance.

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“At 0-0 I was reasonably happy and knew the game would open up in the second half. Then it was a question of moments. They scored a goal from a quality ball and someone that is in form, but we had two or three other good chances.

“Certainly on chances I don’t think it was a game we deserved to lose. We were better in the second half than we were in that first half. My opinion is a draw would have been a fair result.

“You are up against a team that are very expansive in the way they play and there are different ways to play against it. What you can do is press and be open, but they play a different system to us.

“When you have a team that play three in midfield, they use the space very well. At half-time if you had asked me would I be happy at 0-0 coming here and hopefully the game opening up in the second half? I would have said yes.

“That is the way we chose to play and as I said, I can’t think of a chance Leeds had in that first half.”