Chris Hughton has told Albion they must develop a killer instinct after they bowed out of the Capital One Cup.

But he showed sympathy for Chris O’Grady, who sent a penalty over the bar at a key stage on the 2-1 defeat at Walsall.

The Seagulls went 1-0 up for the sixth time in as many matches this season.

But they could not add a second and saw Jake Forster-Caskey’s penalty wiped out by second-half goals from Milan Lalkovic and Rico Henry.

Hughton said: “I felt we had some really good periods of the game.

“I can’t remember a game for a while where we have had so much good possession breaking into their final third.

“We had ample opportunities, got into some great areas.

“Solly March probably got to that byline on four or five occasions.

“But, if we are not going to get that second goal, it is always going to put that pressure on us.”

Hughton admitted O’Grady was below his best but did not criticise his decision to take the penalty.

He added: “It wasn’t one of his better nights but he stuck in there.

“Probably because our general level of performance was quite good at times, we were able to, if anything, carry that.

“It was an ideal opportunity for him.

“We were very much in the game, he earned the penalty, he wanted to take it.

“If he scores, most people say it’s a great decision because he’s not having the best of nights.

“If he scores, people say it shows a lot of character.”