Head coach Oscar Garcia says Albion’s worst home performance of the season was to blame for their shock defeat by Barnsley.

Last night’s 2-1 setback at The Amex against the team at the bottom of the Championship and managerless ended the Seagulls’ six- match unbeaten run.

To make matters worse, Oscar revealed a fresh injury concern regarding influential Spanish midfielder Andrea Orlandi.

Albion were 2-0 down soon after half-time and Matt Upson’s first goal of the campaign was not enough to save them.

Oscar admitted: “We started very slowly. We wanted to start well but Barnsley kept the ball really well and we were too late in pressing them. When we don’t have the ball we are not comfortable.

“It’s not easy in this League to be unbeaten in six games. We were trying to keep the momentum going but it wasn’t possible, because we only played for 35 minutes.

“The first half was the worst first half we have played but in the second half we reacted well and we had enough chances to score a second goal and also a third but we didn’t take them.”

Orlandi made his comeback from knee surgery as a second-half substitute at Bournemouth on Saturday but was not in the squad last night due to a knock.

Oscar revealed: “He wasn’t 100 per cent. It’s the same knee, so we are a little bit concerned.”

The result dropped Albion two places to 11th, still three points outside the play-offs ahead of Saturday’s visit by leaders Leicester, although the gap between them and the top six will double to six points if Derby beat Middlesbrough at home tonight.