Wolves boss Walter Zenga: We were unlucky

Sam Baldock's 14th-minute opener was enough to give Chris Hughton's side all three points at the Amex Community Stadium.

Brighton dominated for long spells but Wolves could easily have nicked a point in six crazy added minutes in which they went close on three occasions, with keeper Carl Ikeme up for several corners.

Zenga said: "I think that it was a good game between two teams that played well.

"We showed that we can play at this level without problems. This night I can say we had hard luck. I don't like to use this word but I think it's there for everybody that we can score and we can draw the game.

"Sometimes we have to consider there are two teams that play football, not only one. And last year this team came almost to the Premier, only by the difference of goal. And we play here in their house without problem.

"Okay sometime they dominate us, sometime we dominate them, but in the end I think in the number of the games there are the normal result.

"It's not normal that every time I have to point the finger at our defence, sometimes I recognise they score a good goal.

"For example this evening Knockaert plays an unbelievable game. I said to him congratulations, because he deserves it.

"My team played good football and we had a lot of chance at the end but the ball doesn't want to go in."

Wolves, who had Nouha Dicko starting up front for the first time in 13 months, conceded an early goal for the third game running.

But Zenga said it was merely a coincidence and they hadn't started the game slowly.

"I was happy with how we start the game. Every time that there is a first chance, they score a goal. It happened against Norwich, Villa and now tonight.

"The first ball they put nice into the box...they score.

"I don't agree it's a slow start. If you're thinking we start slow...okay, but I don't think so. Brighton started strong. In this moment we have very hard luck."

Of his half time changes, sending on Ivan Cavaleiro and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Zenga added: "Prince receive one kick in the legs and I must take him off.

"And 1-0 down I needed to push. Thirty seconds in Bodvarsson had a great chance to score."

"It was in my mind to play with Dicko for only 60 minutes, but then the game was in one side and I needed him for 10 more minutes because in my opinion Dicko is a good striker for us.

"But of course we have to be patient for him. We have to help him. But he showed he has the potential.

"Physically we are good. For this reason in the 90 minutes we play better in the second half."

That's three defeats in four for Wolves and only one point out of a possible 12, but they remain only four points off the play-offs despite being 15th in the table.

Zenga insisted he wasn't looking at the table yet.

"I'm positive all the time," he added. "I want to see the standings in December and then we can have a discussion.

"I prefer to play worse the next four games and get three wins and one draw, with only one shot on goal and play bad and defend for 95 minutes...I don't know. I'm very disappointed, but in the long term these things are going to pay (off)."