Maybe Albion should start including a hotel stay in preparation for matches at Withdean to give them more of an away day feel.

They have been disappointing so far at home but the same cannot be said of their form on their travels.

The Seagulls maintained their 100 per cent record on the road with a long range strike from Kevin McLeod to move deservedly through to the second round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Just as pleasing as McLeod’s decisive contribution was Albion’s relentless soundness in defence.

This was their third clean sheet in succession and you have to go right back to the opening day and Calvin Zola’s late strike for Crewe for the last time they conceded a goal in open play.

The rules of the competition this season oblige teams not to treat it with contempt. They have to use at least six players who have featured in the majority of games.

Albion manager Micky Adams had already pledged to take it seriously, so there were not wholesale changes to his line-up, although he took the opportunity to give a couple of players their first starts of the campaign.

Joel Lynch, his recent transfer request rejected by the club, returned in the centre of defence and Doug Loft was given a chance to shine in midfield.

The fit-again Kevin McLeod, an influential second-half substitute in Saturday’s disappointing home draw against Leyton Orient, also started. Tommy Elphick, Dean Cox and Steven Thomson were the trio rested.

Injuries forced the hand to some extent of Northampton boss Stuart Gray.

The most significant of his four changes was the comeback of former Albion transfer target Leon Constantine at the expense of Adebayo Akinfenwa, two-goal hero of the Cobblers’ shock Carling Cup victory against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium last week.

Adams exploited the versatility within his squad, moving Adam Virgo to right-back and Andrew Whing to right midfield, which allowed David Livermore to take up his preferred position in the centre of the park.

Whing’s revised role was short lived as an indirect result of an injury the Seagulls could have done without.

Michel Kuipers smothered a shot from Danny Jackman and, from the corner which followed, Virgo hurt himself as he combined with Glenn Murray to clear.

It was obvious that Virgo was in considerable discomfort and he limped off after treatment to be replaced by Cox, Whing reverting to his customary right-back berth.

Both sides put together some decent moves in the first half on an invitingly slick playing surface.

Albion once again looked brighter going forward away from home than they have done so far at Withdean.

Nicky Forster, having failed to score in a match for the first time this season against Orient, was on a mission to get back on the goal trail.

He fired wide on the turn early on at the culmination of a neat build-up, although it would not have counted as the linesman had his flag raised for offside.

Forster also just failed to reach a right wing cross from Murray after the former Rochdale marksman had been released by McLeod, with the Northampton defence looking in vain for a flag.

McLeod, so effective in the first two games of the season before sustaining a knee injury, was involved in most of Albion’s best attacking efforts in the opening 45 minutes.

Another well-worked move, launched by Forster and continued by Cox and Murray, ended with McLeod sidefooting narrowly wide of the target via a deflection.

McLeod then set up Forster with a clever pass shortly before the break but the angle was unkind and the skipper could only find the side netting.

Northampton had their moments too in an even and open contest.

Constantine, who rejected a move to Albion before joining Leeds from Port Vale, passed up an early opportunity to test Kuipers and Matt Richards was able to clear.

The home side’s clearest other opening in the first half came at the midway point, when Andy Holt completely miskicked from a low cross by Colin Larkin.

Although there had been several moments of promise from Albion, they had not really worked Chris Dunn, Northampton’s new first choice goalkeeper.

That changed, especially during a flurry of activity straight after half time when Dunn, given the chance to prove himself following the sale of Mark Bunn to Blackburn, excelled.

He dived full length to parry a curling 25-yard free-kick from Richards but was helpless from McLeod’s resulting corner when a firm header by Colin Hawkins was headed off the line by Constantine.

Murray looked certain to head Albion in front in the 54th minute from a lovely cross by Loft, only for Dunn to react smartly to push it over the bar.

The lanky Dunn’s good work was, unfortunately for him, undone in the 67th minute as McLeod fired the Seagulls into the lead in spectacular style.

His shot from 30 yards was powerfully struck but seemed to go through Dunn’s hands, an impression confirmed by taunts of “dodgy keeper” from the Albion fans behind the goal.

McLeod’s first goal since his summer switch from Colchester was due reward, both for the impact he has made and for Albion’s second- half superiority. Northampton posed little threat by comparison, apart from a header down and just wide of the far post by Constantine.

ALBION (4-4-2): Kuipers; Virgo, Hawkins, Lynch, Richards; Whing, Livermore, Loft, McLeod; Forster, Murray. Subs: Cox for Virgo (injured, 14), Mayo, Robinson, Fraser, Elphick.

Scorer: McLeod (67).

Yellow card: Livermore (76, foul) NORTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Dunn; Little, Hughes, Doig, Jackman; Dyer, Coke, Guttridge, Holt; Constantine, Larkin. Subs: Davis for Coke (withdrawn, 72), Osman for Dyer (withdrawn, 72), Henderson for Jackman (withdrawn, 77), Dolman, Walker.

Yellow cards: None.

Why are Albion better on their travels?