Adam Virgo admitted today he is still in shock after his heroics helped Albion through to the second division play-off final.

The Brighton-born defender came to the rescue in a dramatic second leg against Swindon at Withdean last night.

Goals by Sam Parkin and substitute Rory Fallon had put the visitors 2-0 up and 2-1 ahead on aggregate when Virgo levelled the tie with a diving header in the last minute of extra time.

The young rightback then scored one of the penalties as the Seagulls won the shoot-out 4-3 to book their place against Bristol City in Cardiff at the end of the month.

Virgo, out of the first team reckoning for more than a year until forcing his way back into the team in January, said: "I really enjoyed it and I am probably in shock more than anything at the moment. I cannot really believe what has happened.

"It's just amazing. We were 2-1 down going into the last minute of extra time, but the gaffer has instilled into us that you never give up until the final whistle.

"It was a good flick by Danny Cullip from Charlie Oatway's throw and I just got a good connection with my header.

"The only goal I had scored before that was at Stockport and that was a header as well. It was just nice to get a goal for the lads. You dream of playing in a massive stadium like the Millennium.

"I scored but a whole season of performances home and away have got us to where we are. It is a team performance, not an individual's goal."

Virgo followed up the first home goal of his career by scoring Albion's final penalty in the shoot-out. Ben Roberts had earlier saved Tommy Mooney's third spot kick for Swindon and when Andy Gurney hit a post with the visitors' last penalty Albion were through.

Virgo revealed: "I missed four penalties during the week when we were practising, so I stayed behind with the gaffer in case I was needed.

"I thought I was lower down the list, but when we were lining up on the halfway line we looked at the Swindon players and they all had their heads down.

"We had the psychological edge. Mooney was saying to me during the game that he was struggling with a hamstring injury, so I knew when he was going up to take his penalty that he would not feel confident.

"I was on such a high after scoring my goal that I would have taken one with my left foot! Fortunately for me it went in off the underside of the bar."

Albion's astonishing passage through to Cardiff was a perfect 47th birthday present for drained manager Mark McGhee.

"Swindon must be devastated," he said. "Their performance never gave us any chance.

"I could not see where we were going to get a goal from and I thought it was only a matter of time before they scored.

"They came at us and played so much better than us. I cannot believe that they are going home and we are going to Cardiff.

"It was a miracle that we somehow got a goal, but we had practised penalties so thoroughly that we were really confident at that stage."

Albion triumphed in the shoot out without regular penalty taker Leon Knight, who went off in the second half of normal time with a twisted ankle.

McGhee said: "He was hobbling and we would have lost the game badly in normal time if we had gone on with somebody who wasn't fully fit."