WREXHAM'S see-sawing fortunes took another dip in wet and windy conditions on the south coast last Saturday as hosts Brighton gave boss Mark McGhee his first home win since taking over at the Withdean Stadium.

Boasting the best away record in the Second Division, with five wins on their travels so far this season, Denis Smith's side would have gone into the match confident of improving that record, but it was Brighton who made the all-important early breakthrough to settle their nerves.

From the moment ex-Spurs midfielder John Piercy opened his Brighton goalscoring account in the 11th minute the Dragons faced an uphill struggle and they rarely looked capable of unlocking a solid home defence.

Denis Smith admitted afterwards that strikers Chris Armstrong and Hector Sam had battled in vain to make an impact, and not for the first time this season, it was wingback Carlos Edwards who posed their main threat.

The Trinidad international saw plenty of the ball, as did his namesake Paul on the opposite flank, but neither were able deliver enough quality crosses to trouble Brighton's back four or goalkeeper Ben Roberts.

The much-maligned Shaun Pejic was given the task of marshalling pint-sized striker Leon Knight - who has already bagged 16 goals this season - and he stuck to the task well, restricting Brighton's dangerman to just one clear chance throughout. But it was a lack of concentration that cost Wrexham dear just when it appeared they had weathered Brighton's initial onslaught.

Danny Cullip's free-kick picked out an unmarked Guy Butters and his knockdown fell nicely for Piercy to fire a volley beyond Andy Dibble.

Such clear-cut opportunities were to be few and far between and Wrexham were forced to feed on scraps and saw little go for them.

A mistake by defender Adam El-Abd was tidied up by Roberts just ahead of Armstrong, and when Brian Carey flicked on a corner the Seagulls goalkeeper caused panic in the six-yard box when he missed the ball, but unluckily for the Dragons the ball bounced off Chris Llewellyn before being hacked to safety.

But if Brighton rode their luck at times, Wrexham needed Dibble to be alert and the goalkeeper kept the game alive, making a fine save from Knight before denying both Nathan Jones and Chris McPhee

The visitors had the strong wind at their backs for the second half but it was Knight again who created something from nothing to keep Dibble on his toes before Paul Barrett went close to an equaliser.

But it was Brighton who sucker-punched Wrexham in the 65th minute when Richard Carpenter marked his 150th league appearance for the club with a goal that took a wicked deflection off Carey. Carpenter's shot from outside the penalty area clipped Carey and looped up over Dibble, rebounding off the crossbar and into the net.

Wrexham's frustration increased when substitute Steve Thomas hammered a free-kick which Roberts was unable to hold, but the bounce again favoured the home side.

It was clearly not Wrexham's day when the home defence was at last opened up with five minutes remaining.

Thomas crossed from the right and Paul Edwards was at the far post to nod the ball down to Carey, but he somehow rolled it wide.

And when Lee Jones, who replaced the ineffective Armstrong, was given a chance, Roberts instinctively threw up a hand to ensure Brighton's first clean sheet of the season.

WREXHAM: Dibble, Pejic, Carey (S Roberts 83), Lawrence, C Edwards, Whitley, Barrett, Llewellyn (Thomas 71), P Edwards, Sam, Armstrong (L Jones, 65). Subs: Morgan, Crowell. Referee: Tony Bates

Att: 5,642