Albion are making life unnecessarily uncomfortable for themselves in the quest to secure safety.

The Seagulls went down to a 1-0 defeat at rock-bottom, already-relegated Sheffield United tonight.

David McGoldrick’s first-half strike, calmly taken amid defensive wreckage, somehow proved to be the winner.

It was an awful goal to concede and the low point of a one-paced, toothless first-half from the Seagulls.

But how they failed to get anything out of the second half was mystifying even in this season of missed opportunities.

HOW WE REPORTED SHEFFIELD UNITED V ALBION LIVE

Granted, it was not quite as galling as the farcical defeat at West Brom. What could be? But it was not far off.

Jakub Moder had a goal ruled out for a VAR-adjudicated offside, rightly as it turned out, and Neal Mauoay blazed over an open goal from point-blank range after he was teed up by Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Maupay had twice earlier forced fine saves from Aaron Ramsdale, although he should arguably have buried the first chance, when it was still 0-0.

Ramsdale later dived to his left to deny Jose Izquierdo a dream return from two years out due to injury as he cut in from the left and let fly from well outside the box.

Albion piled men forward in the second half, including Robert Sanchez late on.

But that is now three games without a goal as the chance to climb the table went.

The chance to almost end those relegation concerns went.

And the poor record against struggling sides was extended.