Joel Lynch has blamed himself for the opening goal in another home defeat for Albion which marred his promotion to the captaincy.

Lynch admits he was meant to be marking Graeme Lee when the Doncaster skipper's first-half header set up a 2-0 victory at Withdean on Saturday.

The Seagulls' highly-rated centre half revealed: "He was my assigned man, so I am absolutely gutted about that. I am thinking more about that than being captain.

"I thought I was going to head the ball and it just went straight over my head. I should have concentrated a bit more on my own game.

"It's harder than you think being captain, it feels like you have got to speak more. I tried to get on with my own game but the mistake for the first goal let me down a lot."

Lynch became one of Albion's youngest ever skippers in the absence of the rested Guy Butters and the injured Dean Hammond, who is due to have a double hernia operation on Thursday.

"The gaffer kept it quiet and I was told just before we went out to warm up, so it was a nice surprise," he said. "I wasn't even captain for my school team!

"I am 19 years old and it is a great honour. I am grateful to the gaffer for having so much faith in me and it will be good for my confidence."

Alex Revell and Alexis Bertin went off with groin injuries in the second half of Albion's ninth home defeat of the season and they are expected to miss the trip to Tranmere today.

Tranmere are without the suspended John Mullin and Jason McAteer. They were sent-off within a minute of each other in the second half of Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Blackpool which effectively ended Rovers' play-off hopes.

What did you make of the decision to give Joel Lynch the captaincy?