Martin Hinshelwood joked after the defeat at leaders Portsmouth that he must have killed about eight black cats.

The terrible luck plaguing Albion's manager shows no sign of easing up after this case of low fives in South London.

A fifth League defeat on the trot contained some familiar elements: a shot-shy attack, dogged defending spoilt by the concession of a soft goal and more disciplinary problems.

How unfortunate it is for Hinshelwood that Bobby Zamora, the ace in his pack, is suffering his longest ever period on the sidelines for the Seagulls.

It is now three and a bit weeks and four and a bit matches since Zamora strained a knee ligament against Norwich.

The strain of his absence on the team is plain for all to see.

Albion have failed to find the net in five out of seven games so far and, not for the first time, they did not manage a shot on target.

The closest they came was during their best spell of a combative contest in the middle of the first half, when Paul Brooker was buzzing and a swivelling right- foot volley from Paul Kitson flashed narrowly wide.

Patience is required in respect of the current shortcomings up front. They will surely be a different proposition once Zamora is fit, Kitson is match fit and Graham Barrett is available again.

Danny Cullip was once again at the heart of what, for the most part, was a rearguard action.

Guy Butters had a much better game alongside the captain than on his debut at Portsmouth and the Seagulls seemed on course to stop the rot until the 73rd minute.

Chistophe Kinet, who scored a spectacular goal on their previous visit in the Worthington Cup two years ago, came back to haunt them.

The Belgian midfielder, introduced as part of a double substitution midway through the second half, soon played a leading role in the two main incidents.

Kinet's cute corner to the near post was back-headed in from just inside the six-yard box by centre half Darren Ward.

It was another bad goal for Albion to let in with Hinshelwood sharing the blame between Butters, Ward's marker, and Andy Petterson.

I had some sympathy with Butters' reaction. He evidently felt the onus was on Petterson to deal with the situation from such close range.

Within three minutes, any hope Albion had of snatching an unlikely point effectively evaporated, courtesy of Robbie Pethick's rush of blood.

Kinet was floored in an incident off the ball near the halfway line and the far touchline.

Referee Scott Mathieson consulted his assistant before sending off Pethick, whose irresponsibility clearly annoyed his colleagues.

Hinshelwood said: "I've got no complaints if he used his elbow. He says it wasn't intentional, but we will have a look at it."

The only crumb of comfort is that the automatic three-match suspensions for Pethick and Barrett for his debut red card at Portsmouth coincide just for the trip to Rotherham on September 21.

Albion might have finished with eight men. Kitson saw yellow, with the home fans baying for red, when he caught Matt Lawrence with a late challenge just a minute after he had himself been clattered from behind by Stuart Nethercott. It rather smelt of retribution.

Chris McPhee, a late replacement for the hard-working Daniel Marney, was immediately involved in a nasty looking but accidental clash of heads with Ward, who finished the match swathed in a bandage.

Millwall manager Mark McGhee, relieved by a second successive home victory, said: "They came and scrapped and gave us a game.

"Like us they huffed and puffed and the difference between the teams was one good cross.

"It struck me that they have got a good spirit. They didn't chuck the towel in. If they keep that they have a chance of evntually winning a game.

"There are teams as bad or worse than us in this division, I can assure you of that."

That is of little consolation to Hinshelwood at the moment. "I'm disappointed because I hate losing games, but I cannot fault my players for the effort they gave me again," he said.

"We have missed Bobby. When I look at what the players did here and at Portsmouth we are on the right track, but it's another defeat and we cannot keep on being beaten."

Hinshelwood hinted that Kitson, who made his comeback from a back-related hamstring injury, might be rested from Wednesday's potential banana skin in the Worthington Cup against Third Division strugglers Exeter at Withdean.

"I was pleased with his effort and commitment. Now I have got to look at it and perhaps not push it like I did last time, when he had two games in three days and I lost him."

Losing to Exeter and their psychic, spoon-bending guru Uri Geller could have Albion shareholder Fatboy Slim shouting: "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!"

  • Albion line-up (4-3-3): Petterson (gk) 6, Watson (lb) 6, Cullip (cd) 8, Butters (cd) 7, Oatway (cm) 6, Brooker (lw) 7, Carpenter (cm) 6, Pethick (rb) 6, Marney (rw) 7, Melton (cm) 7, Kitson (f) 6. Subs: Rogers, Jones for Brooker (withdrawn 77), Wilkinson, Packham, McPhee for Marney (withdrawn 84).
  • Sent-Off: Pethick (76) violent conduct.
  • Bookings: Kitson (56) foul, McPhee (84) foul.
  • Attendance 8,822.
  • Fan's View: Archie Southgate (East Grinstead).

A hard-working performance lacking the quality necessary to beat an ordinary Millwall side clearly lacking in confidence themselves.

The time to judge this team at this level is once we get Bobby Zamora, Michel Kuipers and Gary Hart back in the side, which at the moment is desperately in need of a positive result.

There is an obvious step up in class and if we don't learn to cope soon, the doom and gloom merchants will have us down by Christmas.

My message to Dick Knight and all the whingers: "Back the manager, not sack the manager."