Albion 2 Milton Keynes 0.

ALBION’S history is littered with examples of players and managers for whom second time around was not as sweet as the first.

John Byrne, Alan Mullery and Micky Adams spring immediately to mind.

Kazenga LuaLua is about to buck the trend, by performing even better in his second spell than he did in his debut stint with the club.

The teenage winger set the bar pretty high with his performances on loan from Newcastle towards the end of last season.

He combined blistering bursts with a few decent crosses after some hard graft on the training ground honing his final ball.

The only missing ingredients were a goal and peak fitness, hamstring trouble interrupting his contribution.

LuaLua looks fitter now than he did a few months ago. As for that goal famine, he rectified that, and how, with a breathtaking free-kick which established supremacy for Albion against one of their probable promotion rivals and embellished an eye-catching return.

LuaLua tormented the Dons’ defence, and poor Dan Woodards in particular, with his combination of pace, power and end product. No wonder he departed to a standing ovation from the Withdean faithful when he was substituted with a few minutes left.

LuaLua said: “The summer with Newcastle was tough but I think the pre-season really helped me. I played in a couple of games as well. I think I am a better player than I was last season, definitely.

“It’s brilliant to be back. I had a good time last year and the only team on my mind to come back to was Brighton, because I love everything about it here.

“It’s a good time to be back as well. I hope we can challenge in the league, finish in the top six or something like that.”

Everything comes to those that wait, not just in terms of a goal for LuaLua but for Albion as well getting him back.

The summer-long saga of his on-off return tested Gus Poyet’s patience to the limit. The suspicion was that Newcastle, having regained Premier League status, would have preferred LuaLua to be playing in the Championship.

On this evidence who can blame them, because he is too good for League One.

Poyet said: “He is a very special player and that’s why he is here and we are delighted he is happy to be here.

“We were waiting until the last minute. We had three or four players. We even brought one to train with us, unluckily for him, in the week that we got Kazenga.

“We were nearly in a position where we needed to bring somebody else. We forced it to the end and this proves why we waited so long.”

It takes something pretty extraordinary to upstage Elliott Bennett in the special goal stakes. LuaLua managed to do just that four minutes into the restart, with the contest delicately balanced.

Bennett, a dead ball specialist himself of course, combined with Matt Sparrow to set LuaLua up for a strike at goal from a free-kick 25 yards out. The ball exploded off his boot and swerved viciously into the roof of the net.

In normal circumstances a shot struck at such a trajectory ought to be saved. These were not normal circumstances. David Martin had about as much chance of raising his hands in time as his old man, Alvin, would in a race with LuaLua.

Poyet joked: “We have a problem getting a wall in training. Nobody wants to go in the wall when Kazenga is taking a free-kick. We’re going to have to buy a proper wall because he has got plenty of power.”

There are not many players at this level who could score a goal like it, none who could match it with the height the gymnastic LuaLua gets on his celebratory back-flips.

Not content with that, LuaLua should have been awarded a penalty when Luke Chadwick brought him down. It made no difference as, within 15 minutes left, his goalbound effort was headed in from point-blank range at the far post by Murray to seal the match.

Murray deserved that for his industry and persistence after spurning three openings in the first half, two of them provided by guess who?

Poyet said: “We knew MK Dons score most of their goals in the second half. They are very patient and play on your nerves. If you start going forward and leaving space they are very good on the break.

“We were trying to keep the players calm and realise that, even at 0-0 in the last minute, we would still have the chance to win it. Of course, if you score in the way Kazenga did it gives you another option in terms of winning the game.”

It was not a one-man show. Tommy Elphick and Adam El-Abd were so good at the heart of the defence that Sam Baldock, after a prolific start to the season, did not get a kick and was substituted.

Dons’ only other defeat was a thumping in their previous away game at Carlisle, Albion’s next opponents.

It could be tasty at Brunton Park on Saturday, especially after their manager Greg Abbott accused Poyet of demeaning the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

It could be tasty on the pitch too with LuaLua around. Memo to the Carlisle right-back: consider sprinting lessons – and wear a crash helmet if you are in the wall.

Albion (4-4-2): Ankergren; Calderon, Elphick, El-Abd, Painter; Bennett, Kishishev (Bridcutt 89), Sparrow (Dicker 64), LuaLua (Smith 86); Murray, Barnes. Subs not used: Brezovan, Baz, Hart, Taricco.

Goals: LuaLua (49), Murray (75).

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: Murray (21) foul, Sparrow (56) foul, LuaLua (65) unsporting behaviour, El-Abd (86) foul.

MK Dons (4-4-2): Martin; Woodards, O'Hanlon, Doumbe, Chicksen (Johnson 83); Chadwick, Leven, Hamann (Guy 59), Balanta; Easter, Baldock (Ibehre 59). Subs not used: Carrington, Searle, Flanagan, Powell.

Goals: None.

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: Hamman (28) foul, Leven (65) unsporting behaviour.