Top-scorer Rob Hulse misses Leeds United's Yorkshire derby against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday after collecting his fifth booking of the season in the 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

Ten-goal Hulse is available for tomorrow night's FA Cup third round replay against Wigan at Elland Road but his loss for the derby is a big blow to manager Kevin Blackwell.

It was Hulse's goal two minutes from the end at the JJB Stadium which earned United their replay and he is hoping to make the starting line-up for the replay after spending much of the Brighton game on the bench.

Richard Cresswell partnered Robbie Blake in the attack at the Withdean Stadium where Leeds were expected to clock up a fifth successive league win. But their vulnerability to teams in the lower half of the table tripped them up again.

Former Bradford City players Paul Reid and Robbie Blake featured prominently as Reid opened the scoring for Brighton after only ten minutes. Blake equalised from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break after a mild looking challenge on Eddie Lewis.

But Gary Hart took the glory for the Seagulls with his first goal of the season, ten minutes from time when Lewis was caught napping from a Brighton throw-in.

It was hardly a result calculated to boost confidence for the task against Wigan in the Cup, but Blackwell said: "We didn't play badly.

"At Crewe, for instance, we were inept, but I thought we had the more dangerous side at Brighton. We just didn't get it quite right in the final third of the pitch.

"I am not going to have a go at the players, who have had a great run and could have won the match.

"I thought we were the better side, but without the crispness we have shown in the last month or two."

Blackwell took some consolation from a performance that was a big improvement on last season's showing at the Withdean.

"We were annihilated there last year and were absolute rubbish, but you couldn't say that about us this time," he said.

"Brighton chased, tackled and kicked everything. I thought there were two or three sending-off offences and Paul Butler was lucky to escape with a minor injury."

Leeds match facts

Coca-Cola Championship

Brighton 2,

Leeds United 1

(at the Withdean Stadium)

Brighton: Kuipers, El-Abd, McShane, Butters, Lynch, Reid (Robinson 81), Carpenter, Hammond, Frutos, Carole, Hart. Subs not used: Mayo, Kazim-Richards, Tommy Elphick, Chaigneau.

Goals: Reid 9, Hart 80.

Cautions: Hammond, Carole, Hart

Leeds United: Sullivan, Kelly, Kilgallon, Butler, Crainey, Blake (Healy 78), Derry, Miller (Hulse 69), Lewis 6 (Pugh 82), Douglas, Cresswell. Subs not used: Bennett, Walton.

Goal: Blake 38 (pen).

Cautioned: Kilgallon, Hulse

Referee: Andy D'Urso (Essex)

Attendance: 7,415.

Updated: 11:36 Monday, January 16, 2006