Glenn Murray: We can't keep giving ourselves an uphill task

The Seagulls had trailed 2-0 at home to Fulham before the international break but drew 2-2 after a double from Murray and the striker was again Albion’s hero at St Mary’s.

A stunning 35-yard strike from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Danny Ings’ penalty had put the Saints in control but Shane Duffy made it 2-1 on 67 minutes – just two minutes after Southampton’s second.

Brighton then finished strongly as Saints keeper Alex McCarthy denied Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia, before Duffy was pushed over by James Ward-Prowse in the penalty area from a Knockaert corner in the final minute.

Murray stepped up and sent the spot-kick straight down the middle to earn Albion a point and move on to four goals from five matches this season.

The 34-year-old praised the character Albion showed to draw afterwards but added they cannot keep giving teams a headstart in matches.

He said: “The first half was very disappointing, maybe a little bit like Watford. We came in at half-time and knew one to 11 we weren’t good enough.

“Thankfully we got a reaction in the second half and I’m happy to get a point out of it.

“We keep picking points up. It’s not ideal to go 2-0 down each week and we’ve got to eradicate that.

“Getting one right off the back of their second really helped and they didn’t settle down in the game or get a flow in their play.

“We’ve got to give ourselves a pat on the back for being tough enough and brave enough to come back, although we can’t keep giving ourselves an uphill task.”

Asked about his penalty afterwards, Murray said it was always his intention to go straight down the middle against his former Crystal Palace team-mate McCarthy: “That was always the plan.

“We watch the goalkeepers every week to see if we can take anything from their previous penalties, whether they like going a certain way or whether they stay up a little bit longer.

“I felt the right decision tonight was to go down the middle, especially in the circumstances when temperatures were high and there was a lot at stake. It turned out to be the right decision.”