Will Buckley scored two first-half goals to help Albion win 2-1 at Huddersfield today.

The Seagulls were in charge until Simon Church netted from close range in the 90th minute.

But this time there was no drama in injury-time as they saw out the win.

Victory came despite the inconvenience of losing first-choice goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak to a finger injury sustained in the warm-up.

Peter Brezovan, initially promoted to the bench for the trip north, was called in for his first start of the season.

Albion were well worth their 2-0 half-time lead and might even have been further ahead.

Buckley put them ahead in only the fifth minute from a well-worked corner routine which ended with Bruno’s clever pass sending the winger into the box.

His low shot somehow found the gap between keeper Alex Smithies and his near post although it took Albion fans at the far end of the stadium a couple of seconds to realise the ball had gone in.

Craig Mackail-Smith had already whipped a shot just wide from Andrea Orlandi’s free-kick.

Ashley Barnes shot wide and headed over from good openings and Simon Church nodded over when unmarked at the other end.

Barnes seemed to get a feint header to Orlandi’s angled free-kick and the ball nestled inside the far post – but the flag was up for offside.

Albion, though, doubled their lead in the 40th minute with a stunning counter attack.

Liam Bridcutt caught out Keith Southern in midfield and Mackail-Smith’s pass got Buckley racing towards goal.

He still had a man to beat but he did so in style, cutting on to his left foot and then back on to his right before shooting past Smithies.

Huddersfield were a different proposition after the break – and Albion invited pressure by sitting deep.

Lee Novak forced a low cross just wide on the hour and big Alan Lee was sent on to ruffle feathers.

But Buckley almost completed his hat-trick in fabulous style on the 74th minute when he cut inside a couple of challengers and curled a left-foot shot which seemed to be heading inside the far post until Smithies dived full length to tip it behind for a corner.

Church pulled one back for Huddersfield on 90 minutes by tapping in the rebound when Brezovan spilled Danny Ward’s shot.

That ensured a tense period of four added minutes for the Seagulls.

But they survived a couple of hectic scrambles and almost added a third when sub Will Hoskins sent Buckley away, only for a combination of Smithies and Joel Lynch to deny him.

Unfortunately we had to abandon our running report from Huddersfield today. This was due to problems with internet connection, despite our repeated attempts to resolve matters.