Bradley Johnson will not forget his Albion debut in a hurry.

The 21-year-old Londoner, signed on loan from Leeds until January, only met his new team-mates a few hours before kick-off.

It was no handicap to Johnson as he scored two goals in a game for the first time in his career to inspire the Seagulls to an extraordinary second half recovery.

They looked like being fried by high-flying Leicester when a brace from Matty Fryatt gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at the interval.

Johnson had other ideas. A couple of sweetly struck left foot shots and a late own goal by Jack Hobbs earned Albion their first home league win of the season and sentenced Leicester to their first away defeat.

The plaudits were not Johnson’s alone. John Sullivan also made a fine debut in goal after a thigh strain ended Michel Kuipers’ run of 72 consecutive appearances stretching back 18 months.

Boss Micky Adams deserves credit as well for plotting his old club’s improbable downfall with a double substitution at half-time, which included the withdrawal for the second match running of Robbie Savage.

Having waited so long for his chance, Sullivan showed no signs of nerves at the start of the match.

He was called into serious action after only six minutes, when Matty Fryatt escaped from Tommy Elphick rather too easily down the left wing.

Leicester’s leading marksman cut in towards goal and forced Sullivan into a smothering stop at his near post.

Although the hunt for a striker goes on in the absence of the injured Nicky Forster and Glenn Murray, it was soon evident that Johnson will increase Albion’s attacking threat from the middle of the park.

Savage was given a holding role against his former club, which allowed Johnson to break forward.

He took the opportunity to do just that on more than one occasion in the early stages. One particularly impressive surge took him past two challenges before he was brought down but Kevin McLeod wasted the free-kick by driving high and wide from 25 yards.

Fryatt looked especially lively for the visitors. His pace created space for him to cross from the right for Steve Howard, Leicester’s robust and experienced skipper, to half-volley over at the far post.

Howard had the ball in the net in the 20th minute with a header via the underside of the bar from a cross by Max Gradel but it was disallowed for offside.

There was no dispute about the decision. Elphick did not even bother tracking Howard’s run in anticipation of the flag being raised.

Albion survived a bigger scare in the 33rd minute. Fryatt’s close range effort from an acute angle was palmed away by Sullivan and, with Howard making a nuisance of himself, the rookie custodian managed to keep out Lloyd Dyer’s header at the foot of his opposite post.

Elphick ended up in the back of the net in the confusion. Fortunately, the ball didn’t.

It was only a brief reprieve, however, Leicester taking the lead a minute later.

Gradel’s cross was cleared by Steven Thomson, tracking back towards his own goal, but unfortunately for the Seagulls’ Glaswegian skipper, it went straight to Fryatt who registered his tenth goal of the season with an instant shot.

If that was a blow, Fryatt’s second goal of the game in the 41st minute left Albion with a mountain to climb.

A left wing cross by Dyer was met beyond the far post by Gradel with a volley back across the face of goal.

Fryatt demonstrated a poacher’s instinct in getting ahead of Colin Hawkins to slot home.

Although Albion went in 2-0 down, there was no reason for Sullivan to feel any guilt, in fact, he kept them in the match on the stroke of half time, parrying a shot from Andy King after a poor clearance by Andy Whing fell straight to the Leicester midfielder.

Savage’s month on loan from Derby is due to end with Saturday’s home game against Millwall but it could be effectively over already.

Replaced early in the second half at Hartlepool on Saturday, the veteran midfielder lasted only 45 minutes this time.

Adams made a double change, introducing Kevin Thornton for Savage and Dean Cox on the left for McLeod.

Leicester could have put the game out of reach early into the restart. A fine block by Elphick denied Fryatt after the elusive Gradel left Matt Richards trailing and, from the resulting corner, Patrick Kisnorbo headed narrowly over via a deflection.

There was a further escape for the Seagulls in the 58th minute when Howard headed down for Fryatt. He was brought down by Sullivan, diving at the former Walsall marksman’s feet, but, to the disbelief of the Leicester players, referee Keith Hill did not award a penalty.

Albion capitalised on the let-off immediately, Johnson bringing them back into the game with a debut goal.

Thornton set it up with some nifty approach work before squaring for the newcomer to find the net with a low left-foot drive.

Irishman Thornton, deep into his first month on loan from Coventry, certainly made a difference in the second half with his willingness to take players on and the end of a three-game goal drought lifted the Seagulls.

Adam Virgo had a low free-kick held by keeper Dave Martin and, after Sullivan had done likewise from a crisply struck shot by Howard, Kisnorbo nearly headed a cross from Cox into his own net.

Albion, rallying admirably went close again with 14 minutes left when Martin, on loan from Liverpool, unwisely dashed outside his area from Whing’s long through ball.

Joe Anyinsah beat the keeper to it but could not keep his effort down.

Another low free-kick from Virgo fizzed narrowly wide before Johnson restored parity in style with a sweet left-foot strike from 25 yards which left the diving Martin grasping at thin air.

A quite remarkable comeback was completed two minutes from time when Anyinsah, racing clear down the right, crossed and on-loan Liverpool fullback Jack Hobbs diverted the ball past his wrong-footed Anfield colleague Martin into his own net.