Liam Rosenior: Brighton must use play-off disappointment as motivation

Brighton have suffered three exits at the Championship play-off semi-final stage in the last four years

Defender Liam Rosenior says Brighton must use their Championship play-off semi-final defeat by Sheffield Wednesday as motivation next season.

The Seagulls missed out on automatic promotion to the Premier League on goal difference and were then beaten 3-1 on aggregate by the Owls.

Brighton had finished 15 points ahead of Wednesday in the Championship table.

"We want to go up next year and this will drive us to be stronger and better next season," Rosenior told BBC Sussex.

"I have been involved in play-off defeats before and not winning on the last day to go up.

"It stays with you but it motivates you to make sure next time it is you on the right end of the result."

Liam Rosenior made 35 appearances for Brighton this season after joining from Hull last summer

Albion 'can't lose spirit'

Brighton started the season with a 21-match unbeaten run and finished the campaign with a 14-game unbeaten run.

However, they lost 2-0 in the first leg of their play-off tie with Wednesday on Friday and were unable to overturn that deficit at the Amex Stadium in Monday's second leg, which ended 1-1.

"It's hard to look at the positives when you have given so much and don't get what you quite deserve," full-back Rosenior, 31, added.

"What we have done this year is build a basis for the club to move forward and be successful for years to come.

"Everybody at the club is pushing to go in the right direction. We can't lose that spirit when we get knocked back.

"Leicester missed out in the play-offs [in 2012-13] and the next year they won the league. That will be our aim next season, no doubt about it."

Chris Hughton won the Championship title with Newcastle in 2009-10

Hughton proud in defeat

Brighton's defeat was their third at the Championship play-off semi-final stage in four seasons, after they were beaten by Crystal Palace in 2013 and Derby in 2014.

Having finished third in the table - the club's highest league finish since 1982-83, when they were last in the top flight - Albion boss Chris Hughton was named the Championship manager of the year by the League Managers' Association on Monday.

The former Newcastle and Norwich manager praised his squad's "character and spirit" following the defeat by Wednesday.

"We have gone through a period of a few games where unfortunately things have gone against us," the 57-year-old said.

"All I wanted was that if we couldn't make it through to the play-off final that we went out fighting.

"I am proud of a group of players that have been excellent all season. What they have produced has been exceptional."