Seagulls Scene: Murray costs Albion a mint

This amount makes Murray Albion's most expensive signing since Terry Connor back in 1983. He is Cumbrian born, 6ft 1in, and, most importantly, scored six goals in his last seven games for Rochdale.

Club chairman Dick Knight has produced most of the rabbits out of the hat and latest news is that the club have just completed the signing of Aldershot Town's Jonny Dixon for a fee of 55,000.

Spanish-born Dixon is a 5ft 9in striker who has been scoring a goal every other game for the Shots in the Blue Square Premiership.

Dixon effectively replaces striker Alex Revell who this week was on his way to League One side Southend. Revell has been scoring goals regularly for Brighton recently, including a hat-trick against Bournemouth on New Year's Day.

He was a 100 per cent player and a crowd favourite. It was good business on Dick Knight's part, however, as Alex cost us only 8,000 two years ago. Let us hope Dixon proves to be equally successful.

Certainly the team needed strengthening but if Glenn Murray lives up to expectations as an old-fashioned centre forward I wonder if it is strikers that are needed.

Nicky Forster has been a success up-front and Alex Revell has also been scoring regularly. Unfortunately it sounds as if Alex might be on his way to Southend.

As it now looks likely that captain Dean Hammond has played his last game for the Seagulls (nine minutes up to the red card at Oldham!) it is in the centre of the park that we need inspiration.

Apparently major shareholder and poker player Tony Bloom has provided funds for Murray's purchase. Given the high overheads and falling gates at the unattractive Withdean, the acquisition of a goalscorer might be what is needed to maintain the push up the table, get more bums on seats, and avoid mid-table mediocrity.

I'm afraid our trip up to the Sixfields Stadium was disappointing. Frankly the Cobblers of Northampton are not a great side and if Brighton have realistic hopes of play-offs and Championship football, we should be taking all three points.

The Seagulls had the better of the chances in the first half but couldn't score. The fact that the man-of-the-match was Cobblers' keeper Mark Bunn says it all. Michel Kuipers didn't have a lot to do apart from picking the ball out of the net at the very end of the half!

Referee Danny McDermaid gave a decidedly dubious foul against Tommy Elphick on the edge of our area. He appeared to win the ball shoulder to shoulder in the tackle but McDermaid saw it differently. The free kick was headed in by Mark Hughes to give Northampton the only goal of the game.

I'm not sure if manager Dean Wilkins was playing his favoured diamond formation in midfield but it wasn't working. We weren't winning the ball there or working through the centre. Both sides tended to ignore the middle of the pitch and merely belt the ball forward. This made some sense for the Cobblers as they had a giant of a centre forward in Paul Hubertz.

Nathan Elder was given the chance to start upfront for Brighton but I'm afraid didn't impress. Nathan may now be surplus to requirements with the influx of new forwards. Wilkins didn't bring on new striker Murray until an hour had passed. He looked good and should make a good pairing with the lively Nicky Forster.

With Tommy Fraser and Jake Robinson also being introduced, Albion did at least look competitive. They took the game to Northampton and justice appeared to have been done when we "scored". We celebrated as Dean Cox's free-kick curled into the Cobblers' net. Why the referee's assistant stood motionless with his flag up was a mystery.

Offside was the official explanation. Dean Wilkins said he was disappointed with the decision. We were furious! They claim Forster touched the ball in and was offside. Dean Wilkins (and I) maintain that not only was Forster onside but he didn't touch the ball anyway!

Unfortunately the record books support the ref and Brighton lost 1-0.

Nil points meant a drop to 14th in League One. Reasons to be cheerful? We have two or three games in hand. Nine points would put us with Leeds and Leyton Orient on the edge of the play-off zone. We should, and must, beat Crewe at Withdean on Saturday.