Brighton youngsters have been encouraged by development boss Simon Rusk to stick together as they try to get into the first team.

It is understandable for many young players to think about themselves, with only a few first team places open. But Rusk believes that by working together, the players can elevate each other's levels.

He told The Argus: "Although the three got their debuts the other night, and that's brilliant, they all need each other to do that.

"The better the 23s are playing as a group, the more the chance of them breaking through.

"They all need each other.

"It's great the boys got debuts but I believe that is an accumulation of a lot of good team work from the side as a whole.

"Often an opportunity will come through someone else's misfortune or hopefully just good form but they also need their team-mates to take advantage of that opportunity.

"I thought the boys gave a really good account of themselves the other night."