DALE Stephens believes Albion must win their last two games to sneak into the play-offs after blowing the chance to ensure their fate remains in their own hands.

Yesterday’s 1-1 draw against third-bottom Blackpool at the Amex has left the Seagulls still clinging onto sixth spot, although Reading can move above them if they beat Middlesbrough at home tonight.

Stephens, whose first home goal for the club straight after half-time was quickly cancelled out by ex-Albion striker Stephen Dobbie, reckons Oscar Garcia’s side must now see off doomed Yeovil at the Amex on Friday evening and fellow challengers Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on May 3.

The former Charlton midfielder told The Argus: “We have got to look forward now and move on and do what we can do from now until the end of the season. We wanted maximum points from this game but we have got to do it in the next two now.

“It’s going to be difficult. We knew we had to win this game to put ourselves in a great position. Unfortunately we couldn’t do it.

“We are left kicking ourselves again, because we’ve definitely missed a great opportunity to put distance between ourselves and everybody else.

“We have got to rely on others results now, which is not the way we waanted it to be, but hopefully we can look after what we can do in the next two games and things will fall for us.”

Stephens’ 20-yard curler stretched Albion’s unbeaten run to six games but four of them have been draws and Dobbie’s superb reply four minutes later left Oscar’s team regretting another sluggish start. Stephens said: “We’ve started slowly in the last two games now. We can’t really do that. We need to start at a fast tempo and carry that through.

“We were sloppy from the start but we picked it up and I thought after the goal we would go on and score more but they scored a great goal and they’ve hung on for a draw.

“I obviously enjoyed the goal. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if we had come out of the game with three points. It was a good goal but you can’t help but feel disappointed overall.”