Albion and Leeds have a common goal. To be in the top flight next season.

Which is exactly the way things were in the second half of the 1980-81 campaign.

The big difference was that, back then, both teams were already in the first division and facing a battle royal to stay there.

Leeds climbed away from any danger with a good run in the second half of the season while Albion left their escape rather later.

With the drop looking likely, the Seagulls stitched together three successive wins to drag themselves out of the bottom three.

But they still needed a win over Leeds at the Goldstone in their final match to make sure of safety.

The Seagulls were only ahead of Norwich on goal difference with the Canaries facing a home banker against relegated Leicester.

A win would be enough for Albion, anything less would leave them at the mercy of Norwich. And Leeds had not conceded a goal for six games.

Former striker Allan Clarke had taken over as boss and guided them up the table, remaining unbeaten away from since the turn of the year.

Albion had yet to enjoy a top-flight win over the Yorkshire outfit and had young Chris Ramsey making his home debut at right-back.

Maybe all that contributed to a nervy first half-hour from the Seagulls.

Ramsey was very fortunate not to concede a penalty for what looked an obvious foul on Carl Harris.

But the game turned on 31 minutes when Leeds keeper John Lukic was penalised for taking too many steps with the ball in his hands.

The indirect free-kick was drilled goalwards by Brian Horton and blocked by Brian Flynn. But the ball looped into the air and Steve Foster hooked home a volley beneath the gaze of the North Stand which the keeper really should have saved.

It was the big centre-back’s first league goal of the season.

Leeds defender Neil Firm, a stand-in for the injured Paul Hart, was sent off for kicking the grounded Michael Robinson six minutes later.

Firm had already been booked for an horrendous lunge on Andy Ritchie which would these days have been an obvious straight red.

But Leeds still gave it a go. Arthur Graham and Derek Parlane went close and young Terry Connor was sent on as an extra attacker on 79 minutes.

Thirty seconds later, Albion secured their top-flight status for another year.

Ritchie provided a sharp finish after Lukic had saved from Foster.

It turned out Norwich had lost anyway.

But Albion had done the job for themselves and most of the 27.577 spectators celebrated.

Albion: Digweed; Ramsey, Lawrenson, Foster, Williams; Gregory, Horton, Smith, O’Sullivan; Robinson, Ritchie. Subs not used: Ryan.

Leeds: Lukic; Cherry, Greenhoff, Firm, Gray; Hird, Stevenson, Flynn, Harris (Connor 79); Parlane, Graham.