Chris Hughton reflects on missed opportunity in draw with Leicester

Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton felt it was a missed opportunity for his side after a 1-1 draw with ten-man Leicester at the Amex this afternoon.
Chris Hughton. Picture by PW Sporting PhotographyChris Hughton. Picture by PW Sporting Photography
Chris Hughton. Picture by PW Sporting Photography

After back-to-back Premier League defeats, Albion took the lead after just 15 minutes when Glenn Murray headed home Anthony Knockaert's corner.

The visitors then had James Maddison sent off for two bookings just before the half-hour mark but Jamie Vardy's penalty 11 minutes from time rescued a point for the Foxes.

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Hughton said: "I'm hugely disappointed. We were in a similar position against Cardiff and you know when you play against a team with ten men, they're going to play a certain way.

"Leicester have got very good players, good athletes in the team that you know can break.

"You've got to do one of two things - either not concede and we've conceded a really poor goal - or you've got to take advantage of it and I thought we were in the final third, particularly in the wide areas, more than in any game this season.

"You've got to be able to capitalise on it. Apart from the goal, we've gone through a 90 minute period without having that clear-cut chance. Unless you do that, there's always a chance the opposition are going to score.

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“It’s a poor penalty that we conceded and it’s a really good opportunity missed. You’ve got to be able to kill the game off, but we wasn’t able to do that.”

On referee Chris Kavanagh's decision to award Leicester a penalty after Beram Kayal fouled Kelechi Iheanacho, Hughton said: "I've got no issues with the penalty. When you go to ground - and I haven't seen lots of different angles of it - you're always opening yourself up."

On Maddison's red card, Hughton said: "I haven't seen the sending-off again. The only thing I did see at the time was there wasn't a great reaction to it, so that says to me a little bit it was the right decision."

On playing against ten men, Hughton said: "There are always going to be ten men who hold our for a result or even get a win. You have to open yourself up a little bit more and they're going to sit back.

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"They've also got very good athletes when they break. You've got to show the quality to kill a game off. If we get a second goal, we win the game. That I'm quite sure of.

"Unless you do that, there's always a chance the opposition are going to get behind the ball, defend well and use the offensive qualities they've got.

"When they can bring on the players they can, they're always going to be threat.

"At the moment it's hugely frustrating. We started really well and at this moment, it feels like two points lost."

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