MICKY Adams may have lost some of the supporters but he clearly has not lost his players.

If they wanted to get him the sack they had the perfect opportunity.

After an inept first-half performance, a bright start to the second half was halted by the concession of a second goal.

Adams admitted: “I am sure people were writing the obituaries then and maybe I was thinking it!”

The players could easily have thrown the towel in. Instead they showed fighting spirit and resolve to retain a precious three-point cushion over Cheltenham towards the foot of the table.

A draw against a team in the drop zone is hardly cause for wild celebration and there are still obvious problems to address but the way in which parity was achieved offers hope of another result against Cheltenham proving to be a turning point.

The Robins were in much the same sort of trouble as they are now when they arrived at Withdean in February.

Albion’s crowds were down to less than 5,000 and they were in danger of being dragged into the relegation dogfight themselves when they trailed 1-0 with ten minutes left.

They ended up winning 2-1, which sparked a reviving run of only two defeats in 11 games.

If something similar is to happen then more quality is required. A left-back is still needed, together with more creativity in midfield and a better supply to the front men.

Nicky Forster and Glenn Murray now have 11 goals apiece, which is no mean feat in a struggling side.

Both have been injured for part of the season and, even when they have been fit, the service to them has left a lot to be desired.

The headed goals which rescued a point at Whaddon Road came from the kind of deliveries often so sadly lacking – in Forster’s case an inviting cross from Tommy Fraser with 12 minutes left and a pinpoint corner from Dean Cox for Adam Hinshelwood’s equaliser two minutes into stoppage time.

There is more to Hinshelwood than just sound defending. He also demonstrated with his dramatic leveller a sharp footballing brain.

Most of the crosses from dead ball situations up to that point had failed to clear the first defender, so Hinshelwood made a run towards the near post and nipped in with a twisting header into the roof of the net.

“The gaffer told me to go up late on against Luton,” Hinshelwood said. “I didn’t even bother looking this time, I just rushed up there. I took it upon myself and I am delighted I did. It was a nice time to score.”

Hinshelwood’s previous goal at the right end – forgetting that horror backpass on Boxing Day – came against QPR at Withdean in September 2004. Serious knee problems have sidelined him for much of the time since then.

“That was in my right midfield days and from six yards out,” he said. “I couldn’t miss it.”

The same could be said of a chance squandered by Ashley Vincent to wrap the game up for Cheltenham with nine minutes remaining. It was a sitter which, thanks to Hinshelwood, became Albion’s get out of jail card.

They were awful in the first half, in and out of possession. The passing was poor and their inability to defend set plays was swiftly exposed once more.

Lee Ridley’s long throw was headed out by Tommy Elphick as far as Ian Westlake. He scored with a crisp drive from 20 yards, thereby confirming the sense of inevitability that one of the Seagulls’ loan signings last season would be on target against them.

A double change by Adams at the break ultimately influenced the outcome.

Cox took over from Kevin McLeod and the introduction of David Livermore in defence allowed Adam Virgo to offer a robust focal point to the attack at the expense of Stuart Fleetwood.

Albion refused to be denied, even after on-loan Peterborough defender Chris Westwood doubled their deficit 13 minutes into the re-start by forcing in a corner. Adams said: “We kept going. We created openings in the second half by picking up the tempo of the game and getting further up the pitch.

“I was delighted with the second-half showing in terms of the effort and enthusiasm. It was terrific.”

Hinshelwood’s last-gasp intervention redresses the balance after Albion conceded even later at Tranmere last month.

That was their only defeat in the last five away games, enough to encourage the belief that runaway leaders Leicester will not necessarily have it all their own way tomorrow night.

Albion (4-4-2): Sullivan; Virgo, Elphick, Hinshelwood, Whing; Birchall, Fraser, El-Abd, McLeod; Fleetwood, Forster.

Subs: Cox for Fleetwood (withdrawn 46), Livermore for McLeod (withdrawn 46), Loft for El-Abd (withdrawn 70), Kuipers, Hawkins.

Goals: Forster (78), Hinshelwood (90).

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: Hinshelwood (15) foul, Fraser (55) foul, Whing (61) foul, Livermore (72) foul, Elphick (90) unsporting behaviour.

Cheltenham (4-4-2): Brown; Bird, Duff, Westwood, Ridley; Vincent, Finnigan, Westlake, Bignall; Owusu, Hammond. Subs: Russell for Finnigan (injured 46), Low for Bognall (withdrawn 56), Gallinagh for Hammond (withdrawn 74), Puddy, Watkins.

Goals: Westlake (7), Westwood (58).

Yellow cards: Russell (67) foul.

How important could that Hinshelwood goal be?