Albion 1, Cardiff 1

In the tenth game of last season Albion dominated against Cardiff at the Amex but had to settle for a 1-1 draw, their third stalemate in succession, due largely to the exploits of visiting goalkeeper David Marshall.

In the tenth game of this season Albion outplayed Cardiff at the Amex but missed out with a 1-1 draw, their third deadlock on the trot, with the suspended Marshall's replacement Simon Moore a pivotal figure in denying them.

There the similarities end between the Albion of a year ago and now.

The 2015 vintage of Chris Hughton bears no resemblance to the 2014 version under Sami Hyypia which had not won since the end of August, was left with ten points from their opening ten games and did not win again until early November.

Hughton's side enter the second international break still leading the Championship with 22 points and with plenty of evidence to suggest they will remain in the shake-up by the final international interruption in March.

For starters you can banish dark thoughts of that October hoodoo, dismissed by Hughton as "one of those quite weird stats".

As he pointed out, there are "a few more games still", Leeds and Reading away, Bristol City and Preston at home, to claim a first October victory since 2010.

The six points relinquished against Wolves, Bolton and Cardiff can be dwelt upon as a negative when, in fact, it is a positive.

Albion could, perhaps should, have won all three of them. Consider how the table would have looked then and the underlying conclusion is that this group of players are capable of staying as genuine promotion contenders.

Cardiff manager Russell Slade thinks so. He said: "I was very impressed. They are the best side we've played so far for sure."

Easy to say, perhaps, when your team has pilfered a point and you retain an affection for the club you rescued from relegation to League Two six years ago.

Cardiff are eighth, Hull in fifth have already been beaten by Albion at the Amex.

They have yet to play five of the six teams chasing them but they have passed every test they have faced so far.

Every other side in the Championship has been defeated at least twice already, with the exception of draw experts Derby County. Combine that with the evidence of our own eyes in the opening ten games and there is nothing for Albion to fear.

They negotiated another test against Cardiff in the manner of their response to falling behind for the first time this season in the league, after only five minutes too to exacerbate the shock factor.

The squad is deeper than those steered into the top six by Gus Poyet and Oscar Garcia. Hughton's side is not as pretty or as patient as Poyet's but it is more effective. They attack with more tempo and manufacture more clear chances.

The performance against Cardiff was very good. The only obstacles were Moore and profligate finishing, which is the one big reservation about Albion's capacity to stay somewhere close to where they currently are.

Have they got enough goals in their pool of strikers?

Sergio Aguero would have feasted on the Welshmen. Another diligent, perky offering from Sam Baldock was blemished by his failure to score.

He had five chances to add to his one well-taken goal in Albion's first away game at Fulham. Former Bristol City team-mate Moore foiled him three times in the first half but after the break Baldock should have registered when missing the target with both a header and close-range volley at the near post.

Five-goal Tomer Hemed looked off the pace on his return from a one-and-a-half game absence with hamstring tightness.

Bobby Zamora, Hemed's second half replacement, is not the goalscorer he was in his first spell pomp with the Seagulls. Fellow substitute Elvis Manu is taking time to adjust following his move from Holland.

It might not matter if the forwards chip in between them and Albion keep scoring from other areas.

Another stylish display in central midfield from Dale Stephens was embellished by a smartly taken equaliser, his third goal in four games.

Stephens expertly hooked in a cross from his partner Beram Kayal with a right-foot volley. He is capable of reaching double figures.

An abundance of goals may not be necessary either if, as Oscar Garcia's side demonstrated, you keep the back door firmly shut.

Albion have conceded only eight times so far, one more than Middlesbrough, Reading, Hull and Derby, a lot fewer than the rest.

Cardiff opened the door twice. Scott Malone, left-back turning left-winger, capitalised on space down Albion's right created by Peter Whittingham's pass to cross for Joe Mason to slot the early blow from the visitors.

They nearly went back in front completely against the run of play in the second half, the recalled Lewis Dunk saving Albion with a goal-line clearance from Sammy Ameobi after the substitute rounded David Stockdale.

That would have been an injustice. Apart from Baldock's opportunities there were numerous others, the most obvious of them the last.

An unsighted Gordon Greer contrived to miss from a yard at the far post from Stephens' cross which had eluded Manu.

It would have been a gimme for a natural goalscorer with the instinct of anticipating the ball might reach him, rather than a centre-half.

The result was not the only injustice. Albion, harshly treated by Jamie Murphy's red card at Bolton and upheld ban, should have been playing against ten men for most of the second half.

Solly March, bright after a tentative start, induced a caution for his marker Fabio Da Silva with some trickery approaching the break.

The yellow should have turned red for the Brazilian when he blocked March. The case for a second booking was blatant.

The former Manchester United defender escaped and so did Cardiff but March's lively contribution as third-choice left-winger, deputising for Murphy and the injured Kazenga LuaLua, emphasised Albion's strength in depth.

They are in good shape going into the international break - with good reasons to believe it can stay that way.