Albion 2, Ipswich 3.

There might have been a right old row breaking out if this had been a league match.

Two penalties in three minutes against the home side to settle the contest?

Instead, this was largely about Albion taking encouragement from some lively attacking work as they gave Championship side Ipswich a far greater test than they offered Charlton on Saturday.

Goals from Nicky Forster and Kevin McLeod in the first 14 minutes of the second period gave the Seagulls the lead before substitute Tommy Miller converted from 12 yards on 70 and 73 minutes, after fouls by Joel Lynch on Tommy Smith and Dave Livermore on the jet-heeled Danny Haynes respectively.

Assistant manager Dean White, who came out to face the press in place of boss Micky Adams, was more concerned on Albion learning a few lessons.

He said: “I thought we could have done better with the goals conceded. We will be working on that next week and hopefully we can improve.

“It was a decent performance. I think we passed the ball a lot a better a lot quicker than on Saturday.

“The grass was shorter. I think these midweek friendlies tend to be better games.

“Certainly we played at the tempo we would want against Crewe.”

Arguments But were they valid penalties? The players had a few arguments but White said: “I think if they had been at the other end I would have been wanting penalties.”

Forster’s goal was a close-range pounce after Richard Wright had rather unconvincingly pushed out Glenn Murray’s header, all resulting from a short corner routine involving Andrew Whing.

The front two linked up on 59 minutes in a move which McLeod ended with a superb cross shot inside the far post.

Michel Kuipers, looking in good form, preserved the advantage with a reflex stop from Kevin Lisbie in a lively encounter with chances at both ends.

Then came the spot kicks which settled it.

It did not take too long for Albion to improve markedly on the attacking work they produced against Charlton.

Steven Thomson, getting forward from midfield, got on the end of their two best moves on the opening quarter.

He sliced an early shot well wide. But the better passage of play came on 16 minutes when Forster sucked in two defenders out near the right corner flag before laying the ball back, Dean Cox measured his cross into the path of Thomson at the near post and the Scot was off target with his finish.

Thomson also forced a shot wide under pressure just before the break and Albion will be pleased if he continues to threaten once the season starts.

Forster almost got a touch when Albion attacked down the other flank and McLeod slid a dangerous low ball into the six-yard box.

So that was all pretty encouraging. But there was far more chance of a goal at the other end as Ipswich played some lovely stuff.

The only goal of the first half came on 20 minutes when Liam Trotter headed the ball into the box and Lisbie turned away from Lynch before unleashing a crislpy hit right-foot drive past Kuipers.

Before the goal, Alan Lee blazed horribly over the bar when found in lots of space by Lisbie.

After it, Kuipers saved well from Lee and also grabbed the follow-up, Gavan glanced a header a foot wide of the post and Jaime Peters blazed over.

While Ipswich brought on seven substitutes, including the ultimately decisive Haynes and Miller, Albion made their only substitution of the match at half-time, former Ipswich left-back Matt Richards making way for Whing. That led to El-Abd moving from right-back into midfield and Livermore going to the left-hand side of defence.

Wright had to paw away a stinging McLeod volley before Albion scored their two quick goals.

McLeod could be a threat for Albion.

White said: “He has got a great left foot, as you are seeing now, and he scores some cracking goals.

“He can go past people. He ticks a lot of boxes.

“He will be a big player for us this year as long as he carries on doing what he is doing and he does the other bits and pieces which are important.”

Albion fans will hope so.

The moment of reckoning is getting ever closer.

Albion: Kuipers, El-Abd, Elphick, Lynch, Richards (Whing 46), Cox, Livermore, Thomson, McLeod, Forster, Murray. Subs not used: Sullivan, Hawkins, Fraser, Robinson, Loft, Virgo, Hart, Mayo, Gatting.

Ipswich: R.Wright (Supple 61), D.Wright (Haynes 46), Bruce, McAuley (Smith 46), Casement, Peters, Shumilikoski (Quinn 59), Garvan, Trotter (Miller 67), Lee (Rhodes 59), Lisbie (Bowditch 67).

Referee: Clive Penton.

Attendance: 1,728.