MILLWALL'S forgettable February continued when they suffered a shock home defeat at the hands of managerless Brighton.

The Lions have yet to pick up three points in League One this month and Adam Virgo's 73rd minute winner piled on the misery at The Den.

Debutant Vincent Pericard, who joined the Lions on loan from Stoke this week, might have made a dream start to his Millwall career but he just failed to get a touch on Scott Barron's second minute cross into the danger zone.

Adam Bolder produced a decent reaction save from Albion keeper Michel Kuipers on eight minutes with a powerful drive from 20-yards.

The loose ball fell kindly to the feet of Neil Harris, although he somehow blazed his shot high and over the bar from close range.

Pericard took far too long when he found himself unmarked in the box four minutes later and Kuipers took advantage by closing him down and saving his eventual attempt.

The ball fell back into the path of James Henry 15-yards out but his attempt on goal went well wide of the target.

Only a super stop by Kuipers to keep out Harris's header from Barron's delivery prevented Millwall taking a deserved lead midway through the first half.

Dave Martin saw his goalbound shot from 10-yards charged down by Brighton defender Adam El-Abd moments later and then Pericard headed wide as the Lions began to lay siege to the Brighton goal.

Nicky Forster tried an ambitious effort from 25-yards in a rare offensive moment from the visitors on 34 minutes, but it failed to trouble David Forde as it sailed wide.

Harris was put clean through on goal in the 43rd minute, but he was denied by Kuipers', who pushed it behind for a corner.

However, it was Albion who should have gone in at the break in front when Forster's cross found Chris Birchall unmarked six-yards out but he somehow managed to fire over with the goal at his mercy.

Kuipers had to get down low early in the second half to keep out Pericard's low shot from 20-yards.

Millwall's frustrating afternoon was summed up perfectly in the 59th minute when Richard Duffy broke into the box but his right-wing cross failed to find any of his colleagues, despite a host of team-mates being ideally placed in dangerous positions.

Whether Duffy's replacement by Chris Hackett shortly afterwards was connected with the above incident remains to be seen, although manager Kenny Jackett had clearly seen enough by this stage to try and freshen things up a bit.

Pericard was unfortunate in the 66th minute to see his low shot from just inside the area flash wide of the post after Bolder found him with a perfect long pass.

But the outcome remained firmly in the balance and the Lions were lucky to survive at the other end when Forster's header just went over the bar.

The home side failed to heed the warning as the Seagulls broke the deadlock on 73 minutes.

Virgo's free-kick from 25-yards took a deflection off Zak Whitbread's head.

The ball was picked up on the right by Jason Jarrett and his cross into the box was headed home by Virgo past Forde togive struggling Brighton a shock lead.

Bolder should have done better 10 minutes later when a clever run took him just inside the Albion area, but his final shot failed to find the target.

Laird's injury time shot took a deflection inside the box, but it was only really a half chance and Brighton comfortably held on for a welcome three points in their battle to beat the drop.

Millwall: Forde, Duffy (Hackett 60), Craig, Whitbread, Barron, Henry, Abdou (Laird 76), Bolder, Martin (Grimes 76), Harris, Pericard. Subs not used: Pidgeley, Dunne, Grimes, Laird. Att: 9,226.