Expectation was once again considerable, with 1,000 Albion fans packed into an all-ticket crowd.

Cambridge signalled their intentions straight from the kick-of with a long ball which earned them a throw-in.

Ashbee eventually dragged a cross-shot harmlessly wide of Kuipers' right-hand post.

Hart and Warner, signed by the home side from Southampton, were soon in the wars.

Both players required treatment following a clash of heads just inside Cambridge territory from a Kuipers' clearance.

Albion fashioned the first chance in the fourth minute, via a free-kick in the centre circle.

It was taken short by Morgan to Jones and worked along to Brooker to deliver a cross which Hart headed wide from eight yards.

The Seagulls created another opportunity following an infringement on Hart.

The ensuing free kick from deadball expert Watson picked out Cullip unmarked with his back to goal for a header which he glanced wide of the far post.

An important challenge by Warner foiled Zamora as he threatened to latch on to Brooker's slide-rule pass inside the Cambridge box.

The Seagulls were looking bright going forward, with Cambridge offering by way of response only a hooked volley high over the crossbar by Cowan.

The first quarter of the match was a scrappy affair, with the ball spending most of the time in the air, prompting the Albion faithful to chant "boring, boring Cambridge".

Ashbee collected the first caution of the contest in the 24th minute after tugging at Carpenter and then bringing him down with an untidy challenge.

The first real moment of concern for the Seagulls came in the 29th minute.

Cullip was dispossesed by Alcide deep inside his own half, which led to appeals for a penalty for a trip by Morgan on Kitson.

Referee Chris Foy was well placed and he decided there was nothing wrong with Morgan's challenge.

Moments later, first Lehmann, then Zamora narrowly failed to get their heads to an inswinging cross by Watson.

Zamora, fresh from agreeing a new four-year contract, immediately threatened again as he ran onto a long ball down the middle.

He tried to lift a header over the advancing Perez, but the French keeper stretched to save.

Zamora was penalised when he pursued Angus for a long ball to the left of the Cambridge penalty area.

Both players ended up in a heap on the track in front of the home fans and Albion's young hotshot briefly required treatment from physio Malcolm Stuart.

As the first half drew to a close Rogers was cautioned for kicking the ball away when a free kick had been awarded against him in the centre circle.

Within seconds Brooker had a great chance to put Albion in front when Zamora's pass put him clear through the inside left channel, but he shot wastefully wide from 15 yards.

The first half ended in uproar, with Albion captain Rogers sent off for his second yellow card in a matter of minutes.

Ashbee was floored in an aerial dual and Rogers was pinpointed as the culprit.

The Seagulls' experienced midfielder protested to the linesman along with several of his team-mates before making the long walk back across the pitch to the dressing room to hoots of derision from the home fans.

Albion had it all to do in the second half without Rogers.

Adams reacted to the numerical disadvantage by bringing on central midfielders Oatway and Melton in place of wide men Brooker and Hart.

It was quite a brave choice to stick with Zamora and Lehmann, when it would have been easy to withdraw a striker and settle for a point.

Albion's ten men had no alarms in the early stages of a second half in which Cambridge had the wind behind them and were kicking towards their own supporters.

Indeed, the Seagulls went perilously close to opening the scoring in the 57th minute.

Lehmann's low cross from the right was touched on by Melton for Zamora to flick just wide of the far post.

Referee Foy acknowledged a flag from his linesman, so it may not have counted anyway.

Morgan had his name taken two minutes later for a foul on Alcide as the former York powerhouse tried to make progress down the left.

Cambridge did not have an effort on target until the 65th minute, when Kitson' snapshot 15 yards out was help by Kuipers moving to his left.

Chances had been relatively few and far between for both teams, but Albion had more by this stage and were holding their own in the second period.

With just seconds of the match remaining, Albion were unlucky not to snatch all three points. Last season's goal sensation Bobby Zamora thought he had opened his Second Division account but his bullet header came back off the crossbar.

Team News:

Kerry Mayo was a shock omission from the Albion squad for today's big kick-off.

Nathan Jones was preferred at leftback for the Seagulls' return to the Second Division against relegation favourites Cambridge United. Mayo was not even among the substitutes for the clash at the Abbey Stadium.

Welshman Jones started each of Albion's final two friendlies on the left side of midfield but the former Southend player was given the nod in the leftback berth he prefers.

The rest of the line-up was pretty much as expected, with new signing Simon Morgan preferred to Andy Crosby to partner Danny Cullip at the heart of the back four.

Former Fulham stalwart Morgan had run-outs at Selsey last week and at Gravesend on Tuesday after missing the majority of the friendlies with calf trouble.

Skipper Paul Rogers was joined in the middle of midfield by Richard Carpenter, with Charlie Oatway banned for the next three matches as a result of his controversial red card on the Irish tour.

Gary Hart on the right and Paul Brooker down the left has the task of supplying the irrepressible Boby Zamora and his new German colleague Dirk Lehmann.

Accompanying Crosby and Oatway on the bench were Steve Melton, close season capture Robby Pethick and the in-form Lee Steele, fresh from a ban for drink-driving.

The fourth of Adams' summer signings, midfielder Geoff Pitcher from Kingstonian was not included.

Cambridge, 80-1 outsiders with the bookies after finishing fifth-bottom in each of the last two seasons, gave debuts to a quartet of new signings.

Phil Warner, Dean Walling and Stevland Angus formed a predominantly new-look defence, while Colin Alcide led the attack following a £30,000 move from York.

Boss John Beck, in his second spell at the Abbey Stadium, also gave a debut to youth team product Denba Traore.

Substitute Melton raised the yellow card count to seven for a foul on Ashby with 20 minutes remaining.

Five minutes later Steele came on for the limping Lehmann, who had been hurt in a tackle by Walling.

Cambridge United: Lionel Perez; Phil Warner, Ian Ashbee, Dean Walling, Stevland Angus, Paul Wanless, Terry Fleming, David Kitson, Colin Alcide, Tom Cowan, Demba Traore. Subs: Marshall, Prokas, Richardson, Byrne, Duncan.

Albion: Michel Kuipers, Paul Watson, Danny Cullip, Simon Morgan, Paul Rogers, Gary Hart, Paul Brooker, Richard Carpenter, Nathan Jones, Dirk Lehmann, Bobby Zamora. Subs: Crosby, Melton, Steele, Oatway, Pethick.

Referee: Mr. C. Foy (St. Helens).