Albion 4, Gillingham 2.

Albion made it five games unbeaten as they brushed aside Gillingham at Withdean Stadium.

The turning point of the match came on 20 minutes when visiting defender Garry Richards was shown a straight red card with Albion trailing 1-0 at the time.

Nicky Forster equalised almost immediately and further goals followed before half-time from Adam El-Abd and Tommy Elphick.

Substitute Jake Robinson added the fourth in the second half before Andrew Crofts scored his second of the game for Gillingham.

The visitors also had Sean Clohessy sent off in the closing stages to leave them with nine men.

Albion made two changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Ian Westlake, signed on loan from Leeds, was handed his debut and David Martot also returned with the injured Steven Thomson and Dean Cox the two players dropping out.

If Cox's absence from proceedings was a surprise so too was a fourth minute lead for Gillingham, especially as they had managed just one goal from open play in the previous six games.

Adam Miller fed captain Andrew Crofts and the Wales international midfielder controlled and swivelled in one movement to beat Michel Kuipers with a spectacular volley from 30 yards.

Perhaps Crofts could have been closed down quicker and it would be easy to criticise Kuipers for being beaten from such a distance but sometimes you just have to admire the quality of the strike and this was one of those instances.

It was a stunning setback for the Seagulls from which they struggled to recover until referee Mike Thorpe issued a controversial straight red card to Garry Richards 20 minutes into the contest for a foul on Martot midway inside the Gillingham half.

Replays may show otherwise but it did not look like the sort of tackle demanding such drastic punishment . As if losing the imposing Richards from the heart of their five-man defence was not galling enough for the visitors, Albion rubbed salt into the wound by equalising from a penalty awarded from the resulting free-kick.

Thorpe's sharp-eyed assistant spotted a push on Glenn Murray and Nicky Forster duly despatched his second spot-kick in as many games following his last-gasp equaliser against Leyton Orient on Saturday.

Albion should have capitalised further on their numerical advantage in the 29th minute. Forster, playing against his old club, crossed to the unmarked Murray, who headed wastefully wide from the edge of the six yard box.

The Seagulls were the ones feeling aggrieved ten minutes later, Thorpe disallowing Andrew Whing's header from Tommy Fraser's corner for a push.

Their frustration turned to jubilation with two more goals in the final two minutes of the first half, both of them scored by the centre halves from set- pieces.

The Seagulls had made a mess of two earlier free-kicks from shooting positions but they made amends when Forster was brought down inside the semi-circle.

Matt Richards' curling effort over the Gillingham wall was pushed on to the upright by keeper Derek Stillie and Adam El-Abd pounced on the loose ball to rifle in an angled drive.

A half which had begun so well for Gillingham finished with them further adrift and in considerable disarray.

The marking was non-existent once more as Tommy Elphick firmly headed in Fraser's corner.

It was a nightmare return to Withdean for former Albion captain Danny Cullip.

The popular centre half helped Gillingham to clean sheets on his first two appearances but his involvement ended at the interval, Barry Fuller taking his place for the second half.

Cullip received a warm ovation before the game from a disappointing crowd of less than 7,000, which was much lower than expected.

The match was sold out when it was frozen off in December, fans snapping up discounted tickets.

Many of them stayed at home to watch the Champions League and missed out on all the fun.

The second half was always liable to be something of an anti-climax after such a hectic and incident-crammed opening 45 minutes.

Miller hit the bar for Gillingham in the 56th minute with a curving free-kick from 20 yards.

Albion might have become anxious if that had gone in but it was destined to be a night when pretty much everything went right for them after such an alarming start.

Jake Robinson was introduced for Dean Bowditch in the 64th minute and, within four minutes, the substitute increased the lead from yet another set-piece.

Whing had a shot saved by Stillie from Fraser's corner and Robinson rifled in the rebound.

Albion became a little sloppy after that. Gillingham to their credit, kept going and were rewarded with a second goal for Crofts 14 minutes from time.

He drove into the roof of the net from ten yards when Kuipers made a complete hash of trying to punch clear Miller's corner.

The visitors' miserable evening was further compounded by a second red card, this time for Sean Clohessy.

He had already been booked for a foul on Forster when he kicked the ball away after Albion were awarded a free-kick.

He could have no complaints, unlike perhaps Richards, whose premature departure changed the game.

Albion (4-4-2): Michel Kuipers; Andrew Whing, Tommy Elphick, Adam El-Abd, Matt Richards; Dean Bowditch, Tommy Fraser, David Martot, Ian Westlake; Nicky Forster, Glenn Murray. Subs: Jake Robinson for Bowditch (withdrawn, 64), Kerry Mayo for Westlake (withdrawn 90), Joel Lynch, Gary Hart, Jonny Dixon.

Yellow cards: Westlake (31, foul), Fraser (62, unsporting behaviour)..

Scorers: Forster (22), penalty, El-Abd (43), Elphick (45), Robinson (68).

Gillingham (5-2-1-2): Derek Stillie; Sean Clohessy, Garry Richards, Danny Cullip, Simon King, John Nutter; Stuart Lewis, Andrew Crofts; Adam Miller; Delroy Facey, Leroy Griffiths. Subs: Barry Fuller for Cullip (withdrawn, 46), Gary Mulligan for Lewis (withdrawn, 58), Simeon Jackson for Griffiths (withdrawn, 69), Chris Kelly, Dennis Oli.

Yellow cards: Griffiths (39, hand ball), Stillie (45, dissent), Miller (43, dissent).

Red cards: Richards (20, serious foul play), Clohessy (71, foul and (82, kicking ball away).

Scorers: Crofts (4 and 76).

What did you think of Albion's performance? How realistic is a play-off challenge?.