Albion win at Walsall

Albion remain very much in the hunt for a play-off place after a vital victory, their first away from home for seven games.

They showed the kind of nerve and resilience which will be required in abundance during the run-in in the chase to finish in the top six.

Dean Wilkins' side came from behind with goals by strike pair Nicky Forster, his 15th of the season, and Glenn Murray's fifth in nine starts with 12 minutes left.

It was a jubilant return to the starting line-up for Dean Cox, left out of the previous two matches for disciplinary reasons.

Albion are now only three points adrift of Walsall, whose own play-off challenge has faltered with consecutive home defeats.

Wilkins focused on Albion's midfield shortcomings following the 2-0 defeat at Carlisle on Saturday.

He has struggled to find a suitable partner for Steven Thomson since the Glaswegian's January switch from Falkirk.

Adam El-Abd was pushed forward into the centre of the park at the expense of Tommy Fraser to renew acquaintances with Thomson after linking up with him last month.

Joel Lynch came into the centre of defence for his first League start of 2008 and Cox took over from David Martot on the right.

Walsall manager Richard Money, rather than making changes, gave the same 11 players the opportunity to atone for their first home defeat since October against Northampton.

The Saddlers, chastened by the rare taste of defeat at their compact abode just off the M6 motorway, dominated early on and Albion had Michel Kuipers to thank for staying on level terms.

In the third minute the Dutchman dived to paw to safety a curling free-kick from the edge of the area by Lee Holmes which was heading for the top corner of the net.

Kuipers came to the rescue again when a mis-hit shot by Kevin Betsy caused chaos inside the Albion box. The ball eventually fell at the feet of Stefan Moore and his low drive was blocked by Kuipers, who had got his angles just right.

The Seagulls struggled to get forward at the start of the match and, and when they did venture into Walsall territory, they could not retain possession to establish any momentum.

The signs were ominous, yet Albion had two good chances to take the lead against the run of play.

Nicky Forster missed the first, skewing wide with his left foot after Glenn Murray nodded Kuipers' long clearance into his path.

Thomson, making the 200th League start of his English and Scottish career, went agonisingly close to his first goal for the club three minutes later.

Murray combined with Forster to deliver a cross which eventually fell to Thomson close to the penalty spot. He looked certain to score but his shot was blocked on the line by Anthony Gerrard.

With his better-known cousin, Steve, in Champions League action with Liverpool in Milan, Gerrard grabbed some headlines of his own as the centre half rose majestically to head a free-kick from Holmes beyond Kuipers into the roof of the net.

The pattern of events at that stage evoked painful reminders for Albion of what happened at Carlisle, where Murray spurned chances before the hosts grabbed a first half lead.

This time though their deficit lasted only five minutes, Forster making amends for his earlier miss.

Fed by Thomson, he turned away from Ian Roper to fire home a right-foot drive from 20 yards which Clayton Ince, Walsall's giant Trinidadian keeper, should have stopped.

It was a relief for Forster, not just because of his previous profligacy but also because he had registered his first goal from open play since December.

It was a strange opening 45 minutes in some respects. Walsall had the better of the play, Albion the better chances, and they were grateful to their experienced skipper for bringing them back into the game.

The Seagulls have not kept a clean sheet away from Withdean since Swindon in mid-December.

They did not look particularly secure at the back again and Tommy Elphick was almost embarrassed four minute into the restart when he dived to head a harmless cross from Rhys Weston narrowly wide of his own net.

The tendency to leak goals is compensated by the potent partnership between Murray and Forster. They may not always take their chances but they invariably look like making things happen.

Murray shot straight at Ince at head height after combining with Forster, who then went close to connecting with an inviting cross from the previously susbdued Cox as he slid in at the far post.

It was, all things considered, quite an entertaining encounter, played in swirling rain throughout the second half with a wind so strong that Kuipers had to delay his goal kicks, with the ball rolling off its spot.

That frustrated the home supporters as much as their side's attacking impotence for much of the second period, apart from Betsy heading over from a free-kick.

Albion looked the likelier winners, Murray going close in the 74th minute with a stooping header just over the bar from a deflected cross via the increasingly influential Cox.

It was no great surprise when Murray put the Seagulls in front four minutes later with a header at the far post from an inch-perfect cross by Ian Westlake.

Walsall finished the match with ten men, substitute Richard Taundry receiving a straight red card for pushing El-Abd in the face as they tussled in the centre circle.

It rounded off a depressing evening for the Saddlers but a joyous one for the Seagulls.

Albion (4-4-2): Michel Kuipers; Andrew Whing, Tommy Elphick, Joel Lynch, Matt Richards; Dean Cox, Adam El-Abd, Steven Thomson, Ian Westlake; Nicky Forster, Glenn Murray. Subs: Kerry Mayo, Gary Hart, Jake Robinson for Forster (withdrawn, 85), Tommy Fraser for Cox (withdrawn, 90), David Martot.

Walsall (4-4-2): Clayton Ince; Rhys Weston, Ian Roper, Anthony Gerrard, Paul Boertien; Kevin Betsy, Darren Wrack, Mark Bradley, Lee Holmes; Stefan Moore, Tommy Mooney. Subs: Bertrand Bossu, Troy Deeney for Moore (withdrawn, 57), Manny Smith, David McDermott for Boertien (withdrawn, 86), Richard Taundry for Bradley (withdrawn, 57).

How important could Albion's victory at Walsall prove to be?.