Blackpool not giving up the fight

Blackpool remain nine points adrift of safety - with Brighton currently just above the drop zone themselves on 29 points - but back-to-back wins at Bloomfield Road have given Lee Clark's side renewed hope.

It was former Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara who did the damage on 75 minutes with a stunning strike and it helped to avenge last weekend's 7-2 defeat away at Watford.

"It's a nice feeling especially after the well-documented horrendous weekend last weekend for everyone associated with the club. It's nice to get a result and the feeling of three points instead of conceding seven goals," said Thompson.

"We're not going to throw the towel in. We've only been beaten here by Bournemouth and Ipswich who are flying high so the home record is decent. But we need to try and get something on the road."

Before O'Hara struck, both sides were struggling to put together any meaningful attacks due to an atrocious playing surface at Bloomfield Road, with Sam Baldock missing Brighton's clearest chances.

"The conditions make it difficult with the surface," Thompson added. "We have a few players who like to play football, the manager likes to play football and you know we've played in teams over the years who like passing it. But it's difficult.

"You see it's not easy on the eye, we understand that, but we've got to start winning games. Unfortunately it doesn't look attractive but we've got three points."

The one moment of quality came with 15 minutes to play through O'Hara.

The midfielder, a free transfer in November, curled a sensational left-footed free-kick over Brighton keeper David Stockdale from 35 yards.

"I think with the state of the pitch it was either going to be a real scrappy goal that won it or a wonderful strike," said Brighton boss Chris Hughton.

"They play a game to suit the conditions and it is always going to be the team that is able to get a scrappy goal or score one with a little bit of quality - and of course the lad hit the ball really well.

"What we weren't able to do was impose ourselves on the game the way we would have liked. They play very direct. It's very difficult to play any other way on a pitch like this because anybody that presses the ball with anyone in possession it's always very difficult.

"The wind and conditions are something that you have to deal with but of course on most pitches in this division you're able to play a little bit of a different game."