Huddersfield Town's run of five league games unbeaten came to an end at Brighton via the boot of Anthony Knockaert.

It was the former Leicester man who set up colleagues Bobby Zamora and James Wilson to score the home side's two all-important goals and condemned Town to a first Championship defeat since before Christmas.

Here are five things we learned from the game...

Cards a problem for Town

Sky Bet Championship - Brighton (2) v Huddersfield Town (1) - Referee Graham Horwood shows Tommy Smith the red card.


Missing Jonathan Hogg against The Seagulls after his red card away at Reading in midweek, Town failed to heed the warning on the damaging effect of suspensions.

While referee Graham Horwood was quick to reach for his notebook, Jason Davidson was the only member of Huddersfield's back line not to pick up a booking. Martin Cranie, deputising in midfield at the Amex, also had his name taken while only one Brighton man (Kayal) was shown a yellow.

Mark Hudson's early card was his 10th of the season, meaning he misses the next two games, and he will be joined on the sidelines at home to Cardiff by Tommy Smith, who was sent off for a second bookable offence late on.

David Wagner only has a small squad at his disposal and will now be extremely light on defensive options when the Bluebirds come to town, especially if Kyle Dempsey doesn't recover from injury in time to make the squad.



Wagner short of options from the bench

Sky Bet Championship - Brighton (2) v Huddersfield Town (1) - Karim Matmour.


That small squad is also impacting on Wagner's substitutions. Nahki Wells continues to lead the line with little respite - while the manager was able to introduce new signing Karim Matmour from the bench at half time, he will need time to adapt and looks most effective playing off Wells rather than as an out and out target man.

With Ishmael Miller injured and Flo Bojaj remaining on the bench, Mark Hudson was thrust upfront in the dying stages with Town chasing the goal and the game.

While Town were down to ten and it was the last few minutes of an away game on a slippery pitch, it summed up Wagner's lack of options.

The boss has spoken of this squad's ability to make a difference from the bench, but in truth it remains thin - especially in defence and centre forward. January is traditionally a sellers market and it is important to refrain from panic buying, but this team could do with additions.

Whether they come now or in the summer is the question likely to dominate the next eight days.

Defence left exposed from corners

Sky Bet Championship - Brighton v Huddersfield Town - Bobby Zamora scores for Brighton.


Zamora's 30th minute finish showed his instincts are still very much alive at the age of 35 - but it was the striker himself who started the move, with a defensive header in his own 18 yard box to clear a Town corner.

From that Chris Hughton's side broke with pace and determination, and Knockaert laid the ball on a plate for the former England striker.

Six minutes later it was almost deja vu, only for the linesman's flag to spare the away side from further blushes.

It isn't the first time in recent weeks that Town have appeared vulnerable at the back when attacking set pieces and there are some kinks to be ironed out on the training ground.



Wagner's focus is on Town, but he will tweak

Sky Bet Championship - Brighton (2) v Huddersfield Town (1) - David Wagner salutes the fans at the final whistle.


David Wagner is quick to shut down the majority of questions at his pre-match press conferences concerning the opposition, and it's refreshing to find a man committed to his own team and his own philosophy, rather than making sweeping wholesale changes from week to week to match the other side.

However, he has shown that he will make tweaks to his tactics where necessary.

Against an attacking Brighton side, Town repeatedly aimed longer balls to exploit the spaces behind full backs who like to maraud forward and are often more akin to wingers in positioning.

And Harry Bunn's goal originated from the right hand side - Jamie Paterson's wonderful ball picking out Tommy Smith, who found space for the cross.



This result is no cause for panic


Heightened expectations mean that any loss will be greeted with disappointment under David Wagner, who himself always wants to win.

However, Brighton are an excellent side chasing promotion and the players who did the damage all have Premier League experience. Anthony Knockaert, who has so often tormented Town with Leicester, has been signed this month because of the qualities he so aptly demonstrated at Town's expense once again.

Zamora is coming to the end of a career rich with top flight goals while James Wilson, at the other end of the spectrum, is on loan from Manchester United.

The Terriers won't face that sort of quality every week, yet with 62% of possession looked well-placed to compete - especially in the opening 45 minutes.

It was the first loss in the league in six games for a rejuvenated Huddersfield - no need to sound the alarm just yet.