Albion boss Gus Poyet has hailed the Portugal tour a success, despite the unsavoury end to their Algarve adventure.

The Seagulls fly back to England tonight with no regrets from Poyet following the abandonment of Saturday’s friendly against Portimonense.

Referee Nuno Guerreiro called a halt midway through the second half, with Albion 2-0 down, after a clash involving Ashley Barnes and home striker Ivanildo led to a mass confrontation on the pitch.

The embarrassing climax to a week which also included an encouraging 1-1 draw against Sunderland will not dissuade Poyet from returning to the region in the future.

He said: “We probably won’t play Portimonense but it was an absolutely fantastic week. The players behaved to their best, everybody working hard.

“I don’t regret it at all. I am sure we will all learn from this. What I wanted from the team and the players was to be able to make decisions playing against a totally different team, not 4-4-2 and that’s it.

“They change position continually, they pass the ball, they are good technically and individually, so you need to cope with situations like that.

“It was extreme. I am sure we won’t play against any team as good as this one in terms of ability.

“That gives us an advantage, because everything coming should be easier to cope with.

“I think as well the English style of football doesn’t help. As soon as the Portuguese saw a tackle, a proper traditional English football tackle, they started crying.

“It’s difficult to cope with that. I am not blaming them, because I used to do the same. They don’t normally see that here week in and week out, the Gary Hart tackle or the Adam El-Abd tackle.

“That is probably why we saw their reaction but, when you play against an English team, you need to be strong enough to cope with it.”

Poyet praised the togetherness of his players in the mass melee.

“That’s the best part of all, although it’s difficult to say it was a good part in the circumstances,” he said.

“We nearly had a fight but everyone reacted. They were together and helping each other and a few of us were trying to stay in the middle. That showed what the team was all about.”

Barnes, more sinned against than sinner, is unlikely to face any disciplinary action from the English FA, since Guerreiro did not show a single card.

Poyet defended his striker, who will lead the line in Albion’s League One opener at Swindon on August 7 as Glenn Murray is suspended.

“After five minutes he did a normal block on their goalkeeper and from that moment he was a target for the whole of the opposition,” said Poyet.

“I am not saying it’s bad - if I was playing I would do the same - but he was getting kicked and pushed and elbowed. Everyone has got a limit and at the end their guy really tried to hurt him.”

Albion complete preparations for the season with their final friendly against Mark McGhee’s Aberdeen at Withdean on Saturday (3pm).

Adam El-Abd started in the centre of defence against Portimonense, as new captain Gordon Greer is also banned for the clash against his former club Swindon.