Albion have fought from behind for a draw in each of their last three matches.

Now their Championship future could depend on them bucking a trend by scoring the first goal against Rotherham at Millmoor on Saturday.

The Seagulls have not enjoyed a 1-0 lead since their last victory against Millwall at Withdean ten games ago.

An Argus investigation has uncovered how critical the first goal is to Mark McGhee's low-scoring side in the fight for survival.

Based on this season's results, Albion have a better than 70 per cent chance of securing the victory which could guarantee safety if they get their noses in front in South Yorkshire.

Go 1-0 down and there is a 70 per cent chance of them suffering a defeat which could do irreparable damage to their cause.

Albion have scored the first goal in 14 games this season. They have gone on to win ten of them, draw three and lose only one, at Reading on the opening day when Maheta Molango's strike after 12 seconds was swiftly cancelled out.

Of the other six away matches in which they have led 1-0 they went on to claim maximum points in five of them, at Leicester, Gillingham, Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Sheffield United. In the other, at Wolves, they still came away with a 1-1 draw.

The difference when the Seagulls fall 1-0 behind is startling. That has happened to them 28 times this season and they have gone on to be beaten in 20 of them.

They had only fought back for a point on three occasions, at home to Coventry and away to Watford and Leeds, until the recent hat-trick of comeback draws against Leicester, Burnley and West Ham at Withdean last Saturday.

Albion have never recovered to win from 1-0 down away from home in the Championship.

Their only victories after conceding the opening goal were at Withdean against Gillingham on Boxing Day and Watford eight days later.

Astonishingly, you have to go right back to September 2001 for Albion's last away League win from 1-0 behind, at Wrexham when Bobby Zamora scored a quickfire double.

Manager Mark McGhee acknowledges how important it is for the Seagulls to break the deadlock at Millmoor on Saturday.

"I think it could make an enormous difference," he said. "In this game in particular I think if we got a lead we would be hard to beat.

"On the back of the three draws and the belief that we are about to win, then it would be confirmed in everybody's mind and I think we would kick on from that."

It won't be good for the nerves of the 2,000-plus fans travelling to Millmoor, but perhaps the best solution is for Albion to grab a 1-0 lead in the closing stages, just as they did through Dan Harding against Rotherham at Withdean in December. Albion's last victory against Millwall, at the end of February, was also secured with a late goal by Gary Hart.

The right winger, who gave the Seagulls an early lead at Wolves at Christmas, said: "It would be nice if we could score in the first minute.

"I get a really big buzz if we go 1-0 up, especially away from home. It gives you a lift. If you go 1-0 down you feel down in the dumps."

Hart, back from a two-match ban, became an instant hero against West Ham after almost missing the match through injury. He provided the cross for Dean Hammond's first equaliser just after coming on.

"I took a knock on my right knee in training on Friday," Hart revealed. "It was really hurting and I was panicking, but by Saturday morning it was fine.

"Whatever Mal (physio Malcolm Stuart) did to my knee must have helped me curl that cross in."

Hart, one of the survivors of Albion's last day draw at Grimsby when they were relegated two seasons ago, doesn't care if he is on the bench again on Saturday as long as the Seagulls get the result they are looking for.

"If I start then wonderful, but whatever team goes out there I just pray we win," he said. It's a big game for everyone."We have played better in the last three games and we are all up for it. If we end up going down we will definitely go down fighting."

Whether it comes down to that might well hinge on who scores first.