Albion suffered their first defeat under boss Gus Poyet as classy Leeds eased home 3-0 at rainswept Withdean today.

The Seagulls failed to muster a shot on target as Leeds maintained their charge towards seemingly the League One title.

They went ahead with a stunning drive by Robert Snodgrass on 27 minutes, his effort from the left edge of the box curling over Graeme Smith and inside the far top corner.

Jermaine Beckford hit the post from a sweeping counter attack a minute later.

However it was Beckford who put the leaders in total control after an even better move on 43 minutes.

Lubomir Michalik won possession in his own half with a sturdy challenge on Glenn Murray, Neil Kilkenny angled a superb 50-yard through ball over the defence and Beckford took it down perfectly before coolly sidefooting past Smith.

Albion rarely looked like offering much cheer for the majority of the season's best crowd of 7,625.

The closest they came was when Glenn Murray poked a Dean Cox cross just wide of the near post on 63 minutes.

Instead it was the 854 away fans who celebrated going into added time as classy Kilkenny rounded off a counter attack led by substitute David Prutton.