OLDHAM boss Joe Royle believes Albion get an unfair advantage from the multi-ball system at their wide open Withdean Stadium.

But he admitted a poor first-half display and toothless finishing explained his side’s defeat, rather than what he described as time-wasting by the hosts.

Royle said: “Other clubs have complained and the ball comes back very quickly for Brighton and very slowly or not at all for the opposition.

“There was a lot of time-wasting and I don’t blame them at all.

“They are in a position where they have got to do what they can to get a result.

“The referee should be stronger and five minutes only for the amount of time-wasting that went on (was not enough).

“He had obviously heard from other people there had been complaints about the ball boys here and the multi-ball system. He said, without being prompted, that if the multi-ball system was abused he would change it and he didn’t, he watched it happen.

“The goalkeeper took forever to take kicks.

“This isn’t a whinge. We lost the game because we were very poor in the first half and because we gave the vital third goal away. I like Russell Slade immensely, he does a great job wherever he goes.

“This is a nice club, I want them to stay up.

“But the referee was not strong enough or experienced enough to handle that game.”

brian.owen @theargus.co.uk