Albion manager Mark McGhee has bemoaned the lack of another striker following the first home blank of his reign.

The Seagulls could not make their possession count in Saturday's 0-0 draw against lowly Oldham at Withdean.

Eighteen-goal Leon Knight had few opportunities to add to his double against Oldham on the opening day of the season, while his young partner Chris McPhee was substituted early in the second half.

McGhee said: "We are lacking another option at centre forward if Leon or Chris are not firing on all cylinders. We don't really have an obvious replacement.

"We are trying very hard and we have been for some time but it's not easy. Chris didn't win a ball, other weeks he has won a lot. You get days like that.

"As a centre forward myself I used to sometimes wonder if I could play when you couldn't keep the ball. Chris had a game like that but he will be good on another day."

McGhee has inquired about signing an un-named forward on a permanent basis, but Albion cannot afford him.

"The supporters, as I have explained to the players, have to accept that we are what we are and we have to play with what we have," he said.

"If we can find someone to strengthen the squad on a loan or something then we will, but that player isn't out there at the moment.

"Maybe even just to make the play-offs you have to score 80 goals. We have arguably the best goalscorer in the League (Knight) and it's up to us to provide the service for him, which we didn't do on Saturday.

"Equally he has to get himself in positions where he is going to score goals, so it's a combination of us all working to fine tune and improve on what we have."

Albion are 12 points behind this Saturday's hosts Queens Park Rangers, who occupy the second automatic promotion spot, with a game in hand.

"When you cannot win against Oldham at home then of course it is going to be tough against QPR away," McGhee said.

"But we should have John Piercy fit by then and Richard Carpenter is back as well, so we will go there in decent spirits. We are still in fifth position."