Albion's promotion homecoming was accompanied by a blueprint for Second Division survival from boss Micky Adams.

Adams believes the Seagulls have the potential to do well again next season, providing he is given money to spend to improve the squad.

Cash-strapped Swansea, where he was in charge for a matter of days before walking out, were the Third Division champions last season but are coming straight back down.

Rotherham, who went up behind the Welshmen, have, by contrast, spent a reasonable amount in the transfer market and they are still in contention for consecutive promotions.

After joining his players for a well deserved lap of honour around Withdean, Adams cited Swansea as an example of how things can quickly go wrong again.

"It is a warning to everybody connected with the club that you don't get carried away and think it's going to be a stroll in the Second Division," he said.

"There are better teams in it, better quality players and managers who are tactically astute.

"If we don't adapt to it and don't invest in the team we could quickly find ourselves in trouble, as Swansea have.

"But with a few more additions to the squad, which I believe we need, who knows what we can achieve?"

Adams' name, like that of Bobby Zamora, is bound to be linked with other clubs in the summer now that he has steered both the Seagulls and Fulham to promotion from the basement.

But he is only halfway through his contract and has developed an emotional attachment to Albion over the last two years.

Anybody doubting that should have been at Withdean last Saturday night, when the team coach arrived back from the promotion-clinching victory at Plymouth.

Around 120 fans greeted the players and Adams in particular with a crescendo of cheers, and tears streamed down his face.

"I've had time to reflect since Saturday and look back at my career," he said.

"The simple fact is I've had two promotions in three full seasons.

"Brentford and Swansea were bit-parts. I have served my apprenticeship and I am ambitious, but I am very happy at this club."

That will be music to the ears of the fans who packed Withdean for the umpteenth time this season.

For almost half-an-hour Darlington, with nothing to play for but pride, threatened to spoil the fun.

They were the better side during that period, when Albion's passing was uncharacteristically untidy and any forward momentum was interrupted by a tendency to stray offside.

Charlie Oatway came to the rescue early on, clearing a bicycle kick from Darlington's top scorer Glenn Naylor off the line following a corner.

The Seagulls were subdued, but goals change games and two in a minute totally changed the complexion of the contest.

One of Kerry Mayo's trademark long throws was headed out only as far as Richard Carpenter.

A low right-foot drive from the edge of the area raised the midfielder's tally for the season to seven.

Darlington barely had time to draw breath before their deficit doubled with the sort of sharp set piece thinking Albion have thrived on.

Zamora, one step ahead of his marker, escaped to head in his 28th of the season from Paul Watson's quickly taken free-kick.

Andy Collett got a hand to it, but he could not prevent Zamora from scoring for the sixth match in succession.

Collett managed to a few minutes later thought after a touch of champagne football from Albion in keeping with the occasion.

A raking pass from Mayo was controlled delightfully by Zamora, only for the keeper to foil him with a fine stop.

A niggly second half was not helped by Paul Danson's fussy refereeing.

Darlington continued to make a game of it. Adam Reed should have scored when he headed straight at Michel Kuipers from a free-kick and lively substitute Kirk Jackson lobbed against the bar.

Albion had chances as well. Gary Hart, put through by Oatway, poked wastefully wide before he was replaced by Martin Thomas.

Little went right for the former Swansea man when he came on.

Thomas got under a shot from a cross by fellow substitute Nathan Jones, while Jones directed a scissors kick straight at Collett when Zamora's header put him through.

Adams, annoyed by Albion's sloppyness, even tried to make a fourth substitution once Steve Melton had replaced Carpenter.

The fourth official held up Andy Crosby's No. 6 before Adams realised his mistake. Both he and his players were entitled to a few. After all, they have not made many in what has proved to be a memorable campaign.