Albion’s under-23s are up and running after earning a point against Liverpool.

Simon Rusk’s youngsters defended well in a 0-0 draw at their Lancing training complex and had chances to take maximum points.

They ended with ten men, Mathias Normann sent off on 88 minutes - just after new boy Anders Dreyer had almost won it for the Seagulls.

The youngsters are in the top flight this term and, like the seniors, have been boosted by summer signings.

Two of them started tonight, recent addition Dreyer on the right and Hugo Keto in goal.

Normann, a sturdily-built midfielder, made his league debut after a season on loan at Molde.

Central defender Ben White also learned fast away from Sussex last season, on loan at Newport County.

What the next few months hold for him remains to be seen given Albion only have three fit senior centre-backs until Dan Burn links up with his new colleagues.

White shone in League Two last term and almost helped Albion to a dream start tonight when his downward header from a corner bounced over, via a touch from Aaron Connolly.

Normann then tested keeper Kamil Grabara with a low shot from the edge of the box which was pushed wide.

Albion had to do a lot of hard work without the ball against a Reds outfit who zipped it about quite nicely at times.

Left-footed right winger Bobby Adekanye cut inside and hit the side-netting with a low shot just before the half-hour.

Victor Gyokeres almost put the hosts ahead in the 37th minute, denied by a block in front of goal after combining neatly with Max Sanders.

Matthew Virtue miskicked at the far post when he should have done much better as Liverpool stepped up a gear after the break.

Albion, though, could have gone ahead in the 65th minute when Gyokeres, who had just seen a shot of his own blocked, cleverly teed up Sanders for an effort which Grabara saved.

Keto topped that stop soon after, going low to his right to push away a drive by Sheyi Ojo.

Even better followed as Keto, formerly of Arsenal, denied Virtue at close range and Owen Moore flung himself at Isaac Christie-Davies’s powerfully struck follow-up.

Dreyer almost won it late on when he got clear to the right of goal but was denied by Grabara.

Normann was shown a second yellow and dismissed during the subsequent counter attack.

There is plenty of interest in how the 23s are getting on.

Maybe the lure of Liverpool helped but about 300 supporters joined the plethora of scouts watching the season-opener.

They had to wait for action. Kick-off was delayed by 45 minutes due to the same heavy rain as accounted for Sussex Sharks’ T20 against Kent at Hove.

Albion: Keto; Moore, White, Barclay, Cochrane; Collar, Sanders (J.Davies 86), Normann; Gyokeres, Connolly (Radulovic 86), Dreyer.

Liverpool: Grabara; Williams, Whelan, Johnston, Lewis; Chirivella, Christie-Davies, Virtue; Ojo, McAuley (Millar 74), Adekanye.