It could have been much worse had Brighton's Dean Hammond not being guilty of an early contender for miss of the season.
The opening 20 minutes was a turgid affair with City unable to make any impression upon hard working Brighton.
The crowd had to wait until the 21st minute for the first attempt on goal but Stephen Hughes' rising shot from 25 yards was never going to trouble the keeper.
Danny Tiatto was fortunate not have seen red was his ugly challenge on Charlie Oatway earned him only a verbal warning from the referee with the Australian already shown yellow from an earlier foul.
The first effort on target finally arrived on 35 minutes when a drive from Mark De Vries was gathered by Wayne Henderson at the second attempt.
Iain Humes was then crowded out and when the loose ball fell to Stephen Hughes he fired in a 20-yard drive which flew narrowly wide. Gareth Williams then picked out Humes who cut inside a defender but his mishit shot from 14 yards drifted harmlessly wide.
After the break City continued to press and they went close on 56 minutes when Henderson got down well to block a 15-yard shot from De Vries with the same City player directing the loose ball towards goal but Kerry Mayo had got back to clear off the line.
On 66 minutes the home side were handed a scare when Sebastien Carole bore down on goal before unleashing a 22-yard drive which beat the keeper but fizzed just wide of the far post.
The best chance of the night fell to Brighton on 77 minutes when the unmarked Hammond had the simple task of converting Leon Knight's far-post cross but somehow the midfielder conspired to head wide from just two yards with the goal at his mercy.
Substitute Momo Sylla flashed a shot narrowly wide of the far post with five minutes left, the last chance for City on what was a very frustrating evening.