Albion manager Mark McGhee today called on his players to hold their nerve as they dropped into the Championship relegation zone for the first time since August.

Last night's 3-0 defeat at play-off bound Preston, combined with a point for Gillingham and three for Cardiff, leaves the Seagulls third-bottom with five matches to go.

McGhee issued a rallying cry to his players immediately after their sixth defeat on the trot.

He revealed: "I said to the boys in the dressing room that, given the resources of the club and the fact we have lost four players through retirement, two we have had to sell and two recently through injury, they have done absolutely magnificently to get themselves in a position where we still have a chance of staying in this division with five games to go.

"We have just got to hold our nerve and hope at some point we get the rub of the green. We are not giving up by any means."

Albion's hopes of a surprise result evaporated in the 31st minute when Gary Hart gave away a penalty and was sent off by referee Phil Prosser.

McGhee had no complaints about the penalty decision but he cast doubt over Hart's red card which rules him out of Saturday's home game against Leicester, when Leon Knight also begins a two-match ban.

"Harty said there was no real debate, he went for the ball, missed it and tripped the boy. The referee said it was a goalscoring position and that is why he had to send him off. I thought that was hard."