Craig Mackail-Smith gained more valuable game time on the road to recovery at Lancing tonight.

The Albion striker, watched by his partner's father Barry Fry, played for 50 minutes in a 3-2 win for the development team against Crystal Palace at Culver Road.

It was Mackail-Smith's first home appearance for ten months after Achilles and ankle injuries.

He more than doubled the game time he was given on his comeback at Brentford last week and set up Brennan Dickenson's crisply struck equaliser by nodding into his path.

Albion were 2-1 ahead against the run of play at the break with goals in the closing stages of the first half from Dickenson and Glen Rea.

Reise Allassani had slotted Palace into an early lead before the outstanding Christian Walton saved the goalscorer's ninth minute penalty.

Mackail-Smith's replacement Jordan Maguire-Drew sealed a spirited victory for Albion with 20 minutes left.

An audacious lob from Quade Taylor came too late to rescue Palace.

Albion (4-1-2-3): Walton; Deen, Rea, Dallison, Hunt; Asmundsson; Harris, Starkey; Monakana (Davis 69), Mackail-Smith (Maguire-Drew 50), Dickenson. Subs not used: Davis, Smith, Wiltshire, Muitt, Maguire-Drew.