Brighton & HA 2 Barnsley 0: Veteran Harper keeps out Barnsley as Hill looks to take positives

Brighton’s on-loan goalkeeper Steve Harper pulled off a stunning save to push a David Perkins drive onto the crossbar before Gordon Greer gave Brighton a 44th-minute lead.

And after Ryan Harley had doubled the hosts’ advantage in the second half, Harper was at full stretch again to deny Jacob Butterfield.

“Ultimately the only thing I am disappointed in is the result,” added Hill.

“But I am trying to build a football team for the future and I’m encouraged by the performance.

“It was an exciting game, for both sets of supporters, for me and Gus, and it could have gone either way. But the game swung on one goal.

“We’re at different spectrums of the Championship. In Craig Mackail-Smith they’ve spent twice what I’ve spent on 12 players. But there wasn’t much difference here today. My players have been magnificent.”

Brighton’s opener came from a needless free-kick, given away out near the touchline by Danny Drinkwater with a foul on Inigo Calderon.

Craig Noone swung his cross in and Greer was on hand to lash in the loose ball.

But Hill moaned: “Where the free-kick was taken from was debatable, it was given on the touchline and taken five paces infield.”

However, Hill could have no complaints about the second, Harley following up after Mackail-Smith’s shot was palmed onto the crossbar by Luke Steele.

“You need your key players. Steve Harper made two or three great saves today,” said Brighton manager Gus Poyet.

Brighton: Harper, Calderon, Dunk, Greer, Taricco, Navarro, Harley (Barnes 69), Bridcutt, Noone (Buckley 81), Mackail-Smith, Paynter. Unused substitutes: Ankergren,Vincelot,LuaLua.

Barnsley: Steele, McEveley, Foster, Wiseman, McNulty, Perkins, Addison (Done 62), Butterfield, Drinkwater, Davies (Vaz Te 60), Gray. Unused substitutes: Preece, Edwards, Doyle.

Referee: K Wright (Cambridgeshire).

Man of the match: Steve Harper.