BRIGHTON manager Gus Poyet has taken another swipe at Saints, claiming they had an unfair advantage in the promotion race.

Saints effectively booked their place in the Championship by beating Plymouth 3-1 on Monday – a fixture that had been rearranged from the end of March.

The switch was due to Argyle having three players called up for international duty.

But with a number of rearranged games already scheduled for a chaotic April, the trip to Home Park was moved to the last week of the season.

Poyet has been angered by that decision, claiming that the Football League prevented Albion moving their postponed game against Dagenham & Redbridge into this week.

“We tried to play a game that was postponed in between the last two games and were told we were not allowed,” said Poyet, who has taken a few jibes at Saints since the teams met in a heated clash at the Withdean Stadium last month.

“I don’t know why Southampton were allowed, they shouldn’t have been.

“In any championship in the world, the last two games of the season you play the same time as your opposition.

“I don’t understand it and that is something the Football League should answer.”

Poyet, meanwhile, has described the difference between Brighton’s budget and that afforded to Nigel Adkins and Lee Clark as “amazing”.

The Seagulls chief admits that even if his budget is doubled for next season, his club won’t be able to challenge Saints and Huddersfield – if the Terriers also go up via the play-off lottery.

Poyet, who recently compared Saints to lowly Dagenham & Redbridge in their style of play, also claimed Brighton winning League One is the same as “Tottenham or Aston Villa winning the Premier League.”

The Uruguyan said: “The truth is we were the champions with the fifth or sixth highest budget, which is a miracle.”

Saints followed Brighton into the Championship having spent around £4m on players in the last two seasons.

Poyet added: “The difference between them (Southampton and Huddersfield) and us is amazing in terms of budget.

“Next year, if they both go up, they are going to always be ahead of us.

“We are going to have a higher budget, no doubt, probably double what we have got now.

“The problem is other teams coming up are going to have double as well, and that is the truth, the reality, facts.

“If I am going to sign a player that for me is unbelievable, super expensive, they can go and sign a player who costs double that.

“That’s not my game, my game is winning through the team, playing one kind of football and everyone doing his job.

“It works, because Southampton won here with two free kicks and Huddersfield won with a mistake and a couple of individual moments.”