Boss Chris Hughton has bemoaned the penalty decision which could have produced an equaliser for title-chasing Albion at his old club Norwich tonight.

Replacement referee Tim Robinson, from West Sussex, rejected appeals for a spot-kick when Graham Dorrans upended Jamie Murphy inside the box.

The Seagulls were already 1-0 down by then to an Alex Pritchard shot which hit the crossbar and rebounded in off keeper David Stockdale.

Lightning struck twice as, straight after the penalty incident, Pritchard hit a post with a shot which again ricocheted in off the diving Stockdale.

 

Hughton said: "My first impressions were that it was (a penalty). Probably what I expected to hear afterwards was that the referee got it right but, seeing it again and certainly from the television cameras that get it closer, the general opinion is that it absolutely is a penalty.

"From that they go up the other end and get a second goal, so they were fortuitous on that one. We were certainly hard done by with that decision but I don' want that to mask that we weren't at a level you need to be when you are playing against a good side."

Promoted Albion still need a win from their last two matches at home to Bristol City next Saturday and at Aston Villa eight days later to go up to the Premier League as champions, unless Newcastle slip up.