Albion 2 Carlisle 2.

IT is a growing possibility. Nicky Forster could do for Albion exactly what Bobby Zamora did a few seasons ago.

Zamora's goals fired the Seagulls to promotion and if Forster's rich vein of form is maintained then they might just be celebrating a return to the Championship come May.

How many times did Zamora nick a win, or point, for Albion in games when they were not the better side?

Forster's latest scoring show was another example of how a clinical finisher can almost single-handily grab a result and gloss over some collective shortcomings.

Albion lacked width and urgency in the first half, defended badly for both of Carlisle's strikes and, with 26 minutes left, were a man down and a goal down courtesy of a rush of blood from George O'Callaghan.

Yet they still earned a point to leave the visitors wondering all the way back to Cumbria how they have not won for five games and managed to relinquish the League One leadership.

A contributory factor was the Seagulls' never-say die spirit. Three times in the last five matches now they have come from behind to avoid defeat, at Cheltenham in the FA Cup and on Saturday in identical fashion with an identical outcome to their visit a week earlier to Leyton Orient, who are back on top of the table again.

The main reason though why Carlisle departed Withdean without a resumption of winning ways was Forster.

That is seven goals in as many matches for the former Hull marksman and nine in total, four of them via braces.

"I don't know if it is the most productive run I've had but it is certainly one of them them," Forster said.

"I have been moaning about keep getting braces but it's nice. I'm enjoying scoring and the run we've had without defeats (eight games).

"No striker can score goals without service and I'm no different. The chances are coming my way and I'm not taking all of them but I'm putting some of them away.

"I think Carlisle are a good team, pretty much as good as we've played. I would put them with Swansea and Orient as the best teams."

Forster's first equaliser, two minutes into the restart, was a fine piece of opportunism. He evaded one defender just outside the area but looked like being blocked by another when nifty footwork created room for a crisp, right-foot drive.

His second equaliser with six minutes left, although by his own admission "very much against the run of play", was just as impressive.

Ex-Reading team-mate Bas Savage made it with a right wing cross which bounced once before Forster swivelled to fire in at his favourite east end, giving his family a bird's eye view in the process.

"I seem to favour that end," Forster said. "My family sit down there, so maybe it's just for them. I think I've scored one, a header, against Cheltenham at the other end."

Dean Wilkins doesn't mind where they go in, as long as they do. He knows a healthy haul from Forster is the key to success.

"Players that score you 20 or 25 goals a season give you a good chance of getting promotion," the manager said. "Let's hope that's the least that he gets."

Forster's goals alone will not be enough. Albion have to tighten up again at the back. They have not kept a clean sheet for nine games and both Carlisle goals were preventable.

An uncharacteristic mistake by Andrew Whing allowed Chris Lumsden to release Simon Hackney for an angled left-foot drive into the roof of the net in the 35th minute.

Joe Garner restored Carlisle's lead within six minutes of Forster levelling, converting a bobbling cross from Danny Carlton from close range after it had been missed by team-mate Joe Anyinsah.

Forster admitted: "We know we need to do more defensively and that is not just blaming the four defenders and Michel (Kuipers).

"We are supposed to defend as a team and at the moment we are not doing that well enough. To let in two goals gives us a mountain to climb to win a game. We have got to address that. I am sure the manager would like some 1-0s."

And a more responsible attitude from O'Callaghan. The influential Irishman did not take kindly to a tackle by Garner which left Joel Lynch, preferred to Guy Butters in the centre of defence, on the floor.

Lynch made a bit of a meal of it and O'Callaghan took misguided retribution when the ball broke with an apparent stamp on Garner.

Wilkins, whose post-match tirade against rookie referee Stuart Attwell was, in itself, misplaced and unnecessary, said: "It's a blow slightly self-inflicted, but I have played in games like that as well and it really gets your back up when you feel as though everybody is against you.

"I've not even spoken to George yet. He is extremely passionate and sometimes he will say something or do something, then ten minutes later apologise.

"It wasn't that bad what he did. I can understand why he got sent-off for it, but I thought the challenge just before that was worse.

"The defensive unit wasn't as I wanted it to be, so they caused us more problems than I would have liked.

"We are not going to get it right every single game. The players should have sore backs for the amount of pats for coming back in such difficult circumstances."

Opposing keepers will have sore backs too if Forster continues in his current deadly mood.

ALBION (4-4-2): Michel Kuipers (GK), Andrew Whing (RB), Adam El-Abd (CB), Joel Lynch (CB), Matt Richards (LB), Jake Robinson (RM), George O'Callaghan (CM), Dean Hammond (CM), Dean Cox (LM), Bas Savage (CF), Nicky Forster (CF).

Subs: David Martot (for Robinson 69), Tommy Fraser (for Cox 85), Nathan Elder, Guy Butters, John Sullivan.

YELLOW CARDS: None.

RED CARD: George O'Callaghan (serious foul play) 64.

GOALS: Forster 47, 84.

CARLISLE (4-4-2): Keiren Westwood (GK), David Raven (RB), Richard Keogh (CB), Danny Livesey (CB), Zigot Aranalde (LB), Joe Anyinsah (RM), Chris Lumsden (CM), Marc Bridge-Wilkinson (CM), Simon Hackney (LM), Danny Carlton (CF), Joe Garner (CF).

Subs: Kevin Gall (for Garner 77), Danny Graham (for Carlton 72), Peter Murphy, Chris Howarth, Jeff Smith. YELLOW CARDS: Garner (foul) 73.

RED CARDS: None.

GOALS: Hackney 35, Garner 53.

How does Forster compare with Zamora?