Leeds United 1, Albion 2

Bobby Zamora's penultimate goal for Albion could not prevent them being relegated from the Championship.

Twelve years on, his late winner at Leeds might just help them head in the opposite direction to the Premier League.

Hyperbole? Perhaps, with threequarters of the season still remaining, but the victory expertly secured by Zamora demonstrated again that Chris Hughton's Seagulls warrant recognition as genuine candidates after stretching their undefeated start to 11 games and their lead at the summit to four points.

Why? Because it was their worst performance so far in possession, yet they still managed to win.

And because it emphasised once more the strength in depth of the squad, which will be crucial to sustaining a challenge in such a demanding division.

Albion were way below their best, nothing like the side that dominated but only drew with Cardiff at the Amex in the previous match prior to the international break.

That is bound to happen quite a few times over the course of a gruelling, 46-game campaign, but we all know what they say about teams that can find a way to win without playing well.

This was a classic example, acknowledged by Hughton. He said: "The most satisfying thing was we weren't at our best and we've won the game.

"We had to show some old-fashioned qualities of digging in, being resolute and fighting through to the end, and I thought as we approached the end we were the side more likely to score."

The strength in depth is not confined to being able to call upon a substitute of Zamora's calibre to claim two bonus points with a high-quality finish.

Fellow replacements Uwe Huenemeier and Andrew Crofts, making his first appearance for a year following a second serious knee injury, also played important parts.

The German was dependability personified after the precautionary withdrawal of captain Gordon Greer approaching the interval due to a jarred knee.

Crofts, introduced on the hour at Liam Rosenior's expense, added solidity at a stage of the game when Leeds were bossing possession and breaking through central midfield threateningly.

Hughton said: "We had three players who came on and made an impact in the game. Uwe was good and solid, Crofty did what he had to do and, of course, Bobby provided us with what we wanted.

"With the amount of games we play it is about making sure you can keep the levels up for those not playing regularly. It's frustrating for them, very frustrating, but it's a long, tough season and you won't do well with 11 players."

It was not just the contributions of the substitutes which stressed the capable depth of resources for Hughton.

Lewis Dunk, forming a new partnership at the heart of the defence with Huenemeier in the second half in the absence of Greer, rose to the extra responsibility magnificently, intercepting the home side's raids with head and particularly feet on numerous occasions.

Solly March, a third-choice wing option left's not forget with Kazenga LuaLua still recovering from groin trouble and Jamie Murphy not free of suspension until Preston's visit on Saturday, built on his second half display against Cardiff.

The England under-21 international clinically fired Albion into an early lead after excellent approach work by Beram Kayal, his first goal under Hughton and third in total at senior level.

In the second half, swapping flanks in the reshuffle prompted by Crofts' arrival, March teased the Leeds defence before striking the bar.

Hughton said: "Solly was a little bit in and out but he's producing good moments. It was a super goal and he is going through 90 minutes. That's a tough ask when you are a winger, being asked to take on players.

"He is continually developing. He scored the goal on the lefthand side and hit the crossbar on the righthand side."

The lead provided by March lasted only nine minutes, Liam Cooper's glancing header from Alex Mowatt's free-kick restoring parity for a fired-up Leeds.

It was a poor goal to concede and it could have been worse if Chris Wood had not wasted a clearer header from another Mowatt set piece.

The former Seagull also obligingly kneed the ball over the bar from point blank range in the second half as Albion continued to concede free-kicks and possession cheaply. Dale Stephens especially was an uncharacteristic culprit.

A contest very much in the balance was decided by one of those fine margin moments dimmed by the passage of time in the final reckoning but which cumulatively impact on promotion, relegation or mid-table mediocrity.

Leeds boss Uwe Rosler had also used all three substitutes when centre-half Cooper damaged a knee, reducing them to ten men for the final five minutes.

Gaetan Bong, shrugging aside a cut foot sustained early on, capitalised on the extra space to set Zamora up for a deft finish over advancing and unconvincing keeper Marco Silvestri to harshly stretch the hosts' run without a home win to a club record 11 games.

Zamora, fuelled by his first Albion goal since a spot-kick at Grimsby in May 2003 when a draw condemned them to League One, audaciously then almost embarrassed Silvestri Charlie Adams-fashion from 40 yards with an effort only just over the bar.

Zamora said: "We didn't play great, we admit that, but they didn't create a lot of chances other than set plays and balls into the box.

"We probably gave the ball away a lot more than we usually do but the spirit was good in grinding out three more points.

"We probably could have won the last three games before this as well, which would have given us a good lead."

The two extra points secured by Zamora made amends for one of those draws at Wolves, where Albion were against ten men for far longer.

They now have a four-point cushion at the top and a vigorous Leeds, for all their troubles, showed enough to suggest they can help them by taking points off other contenders. They already have against Burnley, Reading and Derby.

For now Albion are helping themselves. Their return to winning ways with a seventh by a one-goal margin suggests they are going to take some shifting by the watching Steve Cotterill's revitalised Bristol City tomorrow night and the rest of the division.