It’s clearly our fault that we lost – Marco Silva on Fulham’s defeat at Brighton | OneFootball

Marco Silva insisted Fulham only had themselves to blame for a last-gasp 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

Joao Pedro scored a stoppage-time penalty as the Seagulls finally beat Fulham in the Premier League at the 10th attempt.

Albion looked set to be frustrated by the Cottagers once again, having never beaten them in nine previous meetings.

But Pedro’s spot-kick at the death settled the battle of the European hopefuls in Brighton’s favour and moved them up to sixth, just a point behind Manchester City in fourth.

Raul Jimenez’s well-taken opener for Fulham had earlier been cancelled out by Jan Paul van Hecke’s towering header from a free-kick in the first half.

“It’s a difficult one to take, to lose like we lost,” said Cottagers boss Silva. “But that’s the reality. It’s football. We gave them two moments.

“The first half from us was a good level, the second half I disagree. When the game was really quiet and we were completely in control, we conceded a goal from a free-kick.

“We gave them a chance. And then it was not a good second half from us. It’s clearly our fault that we lost the game.”

The penalty, awarded in the seventh minute of added time, looked soft with Pedro going down under Harrison Reed’s challenge.

But Silva added: “I’m not complaining. A clever striker felt contact and won the penalty.

“We expect this type of striker to do his job. If it was my side I’d ask for a penalty.”

It was probably no less than Brighton deserved as they poured forward in the second half, with Kaoru Mitoma and Simon Adingra both seeing goals ruled out for offside.

Boss Fabian Hurzeler turned to Danny Welbeck, who had come on as a substitute to score the winner in successive 2-1 Seagulls victories.

But the veteran striker could not complete a notable hat-trick of sorts, sending a presentable close-range header from Pedro’s cross wide of the target.

Instead, with the five minutes of added time already up, Reed clumsily challenged Pedro, referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot and Brighton finally ended their Fulham hoodoo.

“We are pleased, because for every Premier League game, to get the wins is so tough,” said Hurzeler. “These are the things we have to continue doing.

“There is not momentum. I understand why every game is a new challenge. We have to enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow, and then focus on the next challenge.”