Brighton 1 Derby 0

Christie sent off after second bookable offence after kicking the ball away from a free kick

Rock bottom Brighton made it seven points from three matches with a dramatic late victory against ten-man Derby.

Long serving defender Kerry Mayo was the unlikely hero for Steve Coppell's makeshift side with an 89th minute winner.

Mayo's header following a Simon Rodger corner was blocked on the line, but he followed up to punish Derby for the 51st minute dismissal of Malcolm Christie.

The Rams top-scorer, back from injury, had already been booked for a challenge on Brighton goalkeeper Michel Kuipers when he kicked the ball away after a free kick had been awarded to the home side.

Brighton were without on-loan Republic of Ireland Graham Barret and centre half Dean Blackwell through injury.

Coppell had to reshuffle again just before half time when Adam Hinshelwood, Blackwell's teenage replacement, was also injured.

Mayo had an effort disallowed in the opening 45 minutes by a linesman’s flag before popping up to notch his tenth goal on his 214th League appearance for Brighton.

Derby, with Italian Fabrizio Ravanelli on the bench again, shackled Brighton's prolific marksmen Bobby Zamora.

But John Gregory's side was eventually punished for the indiscipline of Zamora's former England Under-21 colleague Christie.

It was their ninth league defeat since losing their Premiership status last season.

Brighton boss Steve Coppell said: "There is still a long way to go and we are not going to get carried away. We have got to keep working just as hard as that to get out of trouble." John Gregory was unhappy with referee Richard Beeby for sending off Christie: "I didn’t think he deserved a booking for the challenge on the goal keeper and the ref didn’t show any common sense.He was playing the ball back to where the free kick should have been taken."