Cardiff's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday was a huge boost for Brighton and Hughton was unrepentant over his plan to keep them in the Premier League.

"It's about getting a result in any way we can. Having a good structure, working as hard as we did and trying to restrict them," he said, after ending a four-match top-flight losing streak.

"It's hard to get that balance and if we were playing better, with a little bit more freedom in our play, then it can be a little different but all that was important was getting the result.

"We never set up for a draw, we know what we'd like to do but we're a team who, offensively, is lacking a bit of confidence.

"It's hard to get that balance. If we came here in the form we're in offensively and open up then it makes it a lot harder to get a result."

Hughton's position has been under scrutiny, with Dan Ashworth having joined as technical director from the Football Association this season.

Brighton have won just two league games in 2019 but the former Newcastle and Norwich manager insisted his focus remains on the job in hand rather than summer plans.

"At this moment we've got four games left and all I'm thinking about is getting enough points which will see us in the division," said Hughton.

"Things are already evolving, players come in and others take a bit more time to settle than others but that's normal.

"In a period when things don't go well you are always assessing why not. At the moment it's about these four games, stay in the division and evaluate at the end of the season."

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