Brighton & Hove Albion manager Chris Hughton has admitted that his side lacked a quality end product during their 2-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester United this evening.
The Seagulls crashed out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage courtesy of goals from Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, although the visitors held their own for long spells at Old Trafford.
Brighton ended the game having had 17 shots, including six on target, and Hughton believes that it could have been a different story had they provided more of a cutting edge in the final third.
"We were always in the game, the amount of shots we had, the amount of shots we had on target is a reflection of that. But it is about both ends," he told BBC Sport.
"Lukaku's goal shows the quality they've got and the moments they had. We needed one of those moments. They've got great quality but we feel if you can pass ball well enough you can use the wide spaces - but you need to keep good enough possession. It was our work in the final third which let us down.
"We can take a really good performance into our next two league games. We need good form."
Brighton are next in action on March 31, when they will host Leicester City at the Amex Stadium.
Barney Corkhill
