MATT Upson was denied a blinding debut for Albion – by the sun.

The former England centre- half made a steady start to his loan stint from Stoke after Leroy Lita eluded him from Michail Antonio’s cross to launch Sheffield Wenesday’s 3-1 victory with a freak early goal.

Upson revealed: “The sun was coming down in that corner and I didn’t even see the ball leave the guy’s (Antonio) foot. It kind of flashed past both of us. I think he (Lita) stuck his foot up, it him on the foot, in the face and went in the top corner. It was one of those days.”

Upson was impressed by ten-man Albion’s second-half response after Danny Pugh doubled Wednesday’s lead from the free-kick awarded for Ashley Barnes’ red card.

The Seagulls, with Craig Mackail-Smith brought on to pep up the attack, halved the arrears through Andrea Orlandi, only to immediately concede a scrappy third forced in by Antonio from a corner.

Upson said: “I thought when we came out second half with a slightly different shape with ten men we killed them for 20 minutes and possibly should have been level at 2-2 and had a really strong foothold in the game.

“But it wasn’t to be. We kept plugging away and I thought everyone’s attitude was fantastic. The lads keep wanting the ball, which is nice. I was impressed.

“It feels like a game we shouldn’t have lost. There were some sloppy goals and that cost us but I didn’t feel particularly threatened or dominated all afternoon in the way a 3-1 defeat would suggest.”