City were left the rue the controversial dismissal of striker Jermaine Beckford as Will Buckley hit a crushing late winner on the Foxes' first visit to Brighton's Amex Stadium.

The in-form City forward was show a straight red card by referee Andy Woolmer following an incident involving Seagulls defender Lewis Dunk, 52 minutes into an evenly-contested npower Championship encounter.

The Northamptonshire official confirmed post-match that Beckford's dismissal as for a kick at the Brighton centre-back, who was lying prostrate after appealing for a free-kick that was never forthcoming. Contact appeared to have been minimal.

City hung tough and looked to have survived for a hard-earned point when Brighton's Matt Sparrow followed Beckford down the tunnel for a lunge as debutant Ben Marshall five minutes from time.

But Buckley crashed in at the far post from substitute Vicente's cross in the final minute to dash their hopes, before the misery piled up late-on when Neil Danns saw red for a second yellow card.

The defeat leaves City 13th in the npower Championship, with seven points separating them from the top six. And a major recovery now appears to be required if the Foxes are to challenge the division's promotion contenders, with just 17 games of the season remaining.

Beckford's dismissal proved a major talking point.

Having hinted at changing his side for the first time in five games pre-match, Pearson made just one alteration to his starting eleven for the Foxes' first ever visit to the American Express Community Stadium.

Into the side came January arrival Danny Drinkwater for his full City debut, with Paul Gallagher making way on the right side of midfield, while new boy Marshall took a place on the bench for the first time. In similarly good form to their visitors, Brighton were unchanged from the side that drew at Crystal Palace in midweek.

Renowned for a passing style that has been pleasing on the eye this season, Brighton seemed content to let Leicester do the same in the opening stages, dropping deep like an away side themselves as the Foxes probed patiently for an opening.

Such avenues to attack were minimal and it took until the 14th minute for either side to register a shot of note - Paul Konchesky bringing a routine save from Peter Brezovan with a well-struck free-kick after Adam El-Abd's foul on the tidy Beckford.

Sean St. Ledger keeps tabs on Craig Mackail-Smith.

The hosts' best spell of the first half came halfway through, where they fashioned three decent openings to score - the first when Ashley Barnes' converted Sparrow's slick pass with the offside flag raised on 25 minutes.

The second was partly of Leicester's own doing, when a misplaced pass from Richie Wellens allowed Craig Mackail-Smith to run at the Foxes defence. His pass for Sparrow looked well-weighted, but Wellens had made up ground to apply pressure and Kasper Schmeichel saved at the Brighton man's feet.

Mackail-Smith had perhaps the best chance of the opening half when Barnes headed a deep cross from Inigo Calderon back across goal, but the former Peterborough striker was unable to finish from close-range.

With skipper Matt Mills getting in the way of most thing, City managed to stem the tide somewhat and enjoyed the better of the chances in the build-up to the interval - David Nugent heading narrowly wide from a Neil Danns cross and Beckford forcing a decent save from Brezovan after Gordon Greer has misjudged a Konchesky ball forward.

Nigel Pearson and Gus Poyet share a joke pre-match.

It would be Beckford's final notable contribution as City were reduced to ten men within seven minutes of the restart.

Chasing out to the right flank to close down a clearance from Dunk, the City striker looked down bemused as the Brighton centre-back hit the deck with seemingly no contact having been made. The assistant referee yards away was similarly unmoved, but began to wave his flag as Beckford passed the prostrate defender.

Referee Andy Woolmer was called to, and Beckford was shown a red card.

Pearson responded with the introduction of debutant Wes Morgan to steady City's defences and the men in yellow looked well set to handle the inevitable siege that would follow.

Ben Marshall challenges Liam Bridcutt on debut.

Those defences were tested on 68 minutes when Brighton substitute Sam Vokes played an intelligent ball down the right for Buckley to chase, but the winger's shot was repelled by Schmeichel and Buckley failed to control the rebound.

But it was not a backs-to-the-wall job for Pearson's men, who threatened at the other end four minutes later as Drinkwater broke into the left side of the box, but his cutback was beyond both Nugent and the recently-introduced Marshall in the middle.

Strengthened by the support of nearly 2,500 Foxes fans behind their attacking end, City looked determined not to be forced into a rear-guard action and through a combination of hard work and calmness in possession, they managed to hold Brighton at a safe distance into the final ten minutes.

Lloyd Dyer flashes at a late chance in the Brighton box.

And when Sparrow was dismissed for a two-footed lunge on Marshall with five minutes to go, the numbers were evened up for the closing stages.

But having been seemingly offered a reprieve, City had the rug cruelly pulled out from under them in the final minute of normal time. Down to nine with substitute Nathan Delfouneso receiving treatment, they were short of numbers as Brighton came forward and Buckley smashed home on the volley after Vicente's cross had found him all alone at the far post.

They pushed desperately for an equaliser during six minutes of added time, but were caught on the break by Vicente and when Danns brought him down on the edge of the box he followed Beckford down the tunnel with a second caution.

Brighton (4-3-3): Brezovan; Calderon, Greer (c), Dunk, El-Abd (Mattock 63); Sparrow, Navarro (Vokes 63), Bridcutt; Buckley, Mackail-Smith (Vicente 70), Barnes.

Goals: Buckley 90

Unused subs: Ankergren, Forster-Caskey.

Booked: Greer, Calderon, Bridcutt

Sent off: Sparrow 85

City (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Peltier, Mills (c), St. Ledger, Konchesky (Morgan 59); Drinkwater, Danns, Wellens (Marshall 67), Dyer; Nugent (Delfouneso 76), Beckford.

Unused subs: Logan, Gallagher.

Booked: Danns

Sent off: Beckford 52, Danns 90+3

Attendance: 20,223

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)