Bottom-of-the-table Brighton picked up three valuable points with this win over Derby at the Withdean Stadium.

The Seagulls were made to wait until the 89th minute for Kerry Mayo's winner after Derby had played most of the second half with 10 men after Malcolm Christie was sent off for two bookable offences.

Brighton started brightly enough but Richard Carpenter's 20-yard shot went over the Derby bar.

There were several heated exchanges as play swung from end to end and after a spate of free-kicks, Derby's Steve Elliott picked up a yellow card.

Yet another free-kick gave the Seagulls the chance to open the scoring but Carpenter's fierce 20-yard shot cannoned off the Derby wall.

Both sides were playing the offside trap, with the result that most of the play was confined to midfield.

Frustration was creeping in and Christie became the second visiting player to earn a yellow card.

Frantic finish

Brighton almost broke the deadlock in the 39th minute but Paul Watson's flighted free-kick was punched clear by Lee Grant in the Derby goal.

Derby's hopes suffered a blow at the start of the second half when they were reduced to ten men after Christie was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Derby shrugged off their numerical inferiority to launch a determined attack but missed another good chance when Elliott's weak shot trickled wide.

Derby continued to squander opportunities and Deon Burton wasted another opportunity with a weak shot.

Then it was Brighton's turn to spurn a good chance, Robbie Pethick firing a fierce shot wide of the upright.

Michels Kuipers in the Brighton goal easily dealt with an Ian Evatt header as Derby at last appeared to put some urgency into their attacking play.

But just when the draw looked inevitable up popped Mayo to meet a Simon Rodger corner and shoot home from close range.

Brighton: Kuipers, Cullip, Pethick, Hinshelwood, Mayo, Carpenter, Rodger, Sidwell, Watson, Hart, Zamora. Subs: Oatway, Brooker, Petterson, Jones, Webb.

Derby: Grant, Barton, Elliott, Riggott, Evatt, Lee, Boertien, Kinkladze, Bolder, Burton, Christie. Subs: Morris, Jackson, Ravanelli, Oakes, McLeod.

Referee: R Beeby (Northamptonshire).