IT was Labour Conference in Brighton the last time Wanderers visited the south coast but after another dismal away day, Dougie Freedman was the only leader praying ‘Things can only get better’.

The Whites looking to break their winless start to the Championship campaign at the eighth attempt had snatched a late draw at the Amex Stadium on their only previous visit thanks to David Ngog’s last-gasp leveller.

But even when the same striker tried to claim a goal which was diverted into his own net by Seagulls star David Lopez just before the half-hour mark to gift Wanderers an unlikely lead, Freedman’s men never really looked like repeating that result from the previous season.

A crazy four-minute spell early in the second half put paid to those half-time hopes of the travelling faithful as Brighton netted three times.

First, Jay Spearing glanced a free-kick from wide into his own net and then Inigo Calderon and Will Buckley waltzed through a sloppy Whites defence to add a convincing look to the final scoreline on what was labelled ‘Spanish Day’ at the Amex Stadium.