Sunday 15 May 2016 15:29, UK
Sam Baldock has insisted injury-hit Brighton can still shake off both bad luck and a two-goal deficit to reach the Sky Bet Championship play-off final.
The Brighton forward admitted Chris Hughton's men had been forced to grin and bear Friday's 2-0 defeat at Hillsborough - just as much for picking up four pivotal injury blows as the result.
Connor Goldson, Tomer Hemed, Steve Sidwell and Anthony Knockaert were all forced out of Friday's loss in Sheffield and all four are now expected to miss Monday's return leg.
Dale Stephens remains suspended after his red card in the 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough that saw the Teesiders edge out Brighton for automatic promotion.
Baldock admitted that catalogue of misfortune could easily unsettle the Brighton squad, but he insisted Hughton's men remain bullish about their chances of reaching the final.
"We've had a fair amount of bad luck over the last couple of weeks and quite a lot of it in Friday's game," said Baldock.
"If you don't laugh, you cry, with four key players picking up injuries and going down to 10 men.
"When you look at the spells of possession they pretty much dominated the entire game. But we showed a lot of resilience and I think they'll be disappointed it was only two."
Andrew Crofts could be drafted into Brighton's midfield as boss Hughton aims to make light of the stretched resources that could leave him shorn of 10 players on Monday.
Baldock hopes Brighton can seize upon a pressure-free attitude now, with the odds stacked against them.
"We've got nothing to lose now and the pressure is completely on them," Baldock told Brighton's official club website.
"We're positive and we're going to go for it.
"We've got 90 minutes for them to come to the Amex with a full stadium, with screaming fans egging us on.
"Stranger things have happened. I came off the pitch thinking, 'Come on, bring on Monday,' because believe me, this tie is not over."
