Albion should be entering the New Year with a three point lead at the top of the table instead of third place.

Twice in the last three matches they have tossed away a 2-0 lead.

At Withdean before Christmas Chesterfield came back from the dead after Lee Steele had doubled Albion's advantage early in the second half.

At Bloomfield Road on Saturday goals by Steele and Nathan Jones put them in the driving seat by half time, only for Blackpool to snatch a point in a dramatic finish.

"We're very disappointed," said Steele. "It happened against Chesterfield and now this.

"They (Blackpool) were a different team in the second half and we had our backs against the wall.

"Full credit to them. They came at us and we couldn't really get going and they got their just rewards."

That was only half the story as far as boss Peter Taylor was concerned.

He felt the reversal in fortunes had as much to do with Albion's failure to retain possession and propensity to concede needless free-kicks during Blackpool's spirited onslaught.

"We played exceptionally well in the first half but not so well in the second half, when we gave away possession too easily," Taylor said.

"We had to put up with a lot of pressure because they were chasing the game, but we should have dealt with it.

"The second half was a little bit unprofessional by the players. We know that and we have got to take it on the chin. It was another two points thrown away."

For 45 minutes things could hardly have gone better. Blackpool looked slack at the back, Albion bright and inventive.

Bobby Zamora, although not scoring, was back to something like his best and Steele, relegated to the bench by Daniel Webb at QPR on Boxing Day, celebrated his return to the starting line-up in style.

In the 21st minute Zamora's deft header sent Steele scampering towards the Blackpool penalty area.

His speed took him wide of Ian Marshall's challenge and Phil Barnes' dive to find the net from a tight angle, his eighth of the season.

Six minutes before the interval the Albion fans, whose difficulties on the M6 delalyed the kick-off by 15 minutes, were enjoying a sense of deja vu.

In the corresponding fixture last season Paul Rogers and Gary Hart put the Seagulls two goals to the good by half time.

Rogers played a part in the repeat, the ball brushing off his head after Zamora's industry and invention set up Charlie Oatway for a right-wing cross.

Nathan Jones, lurking towards the back of the box, cracked in a left-foot shot from ten yards via the underside of the crossbar to add tohis spectacular strike at Wycombe in September.

That should have been game set and match, not least because the Welshman had earlier missed an absolute sitter.

Rogers released Steele through the inside right channel. He outwitted Tommy Jasczun and squared to Jones for what should have been the opening goal, but he shot wide of a gaping net from five yards.

Blackpool boss Steve McMahon did not know the meaning of defeat during an illustrioius playing career on Merseyside, so his team predicatbly re-emerged with all guns blazing.

John O'Kane was replaced by Ian Hughes as McMahon switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2. Within ten minutes of the restart the change paid off.

It was a bad goal from Albion's point of view. Hughes was unmarked beyond the far post when he headed in a right-wing cross from John Hills.

The complexion of the contest had been completely transformed and Richard Walker wasted a glorious opportunity to restore parity when he headed wide a Hills cross from point blank range.

The Seagulls seemed to have weathered the storm until, two minutes into injury time, Charlie Oatway was harshly penalised for a supposed push on Richie Wellens from another centre by Hills.

The ensuing penalty by the experienced Paul Simpson, brought on in place of Jaszczun with eight minutes of normal time remaining, was struck with reasonable force and direction.

Simon Royce, unavailable for Saturday's third round visit of Preston because Leicester do not want him FA Cup-tied, dived full length to his left to make a brilliant stop via the post.

Albion were bound for the top of the table again until, incredibly, a further two and a half minutes into added time the swivelling Lee Collins beat the on-loan keeper with an unstoppable right-foot volley from 25 yards.

Taylor said: "It shouldn't have come to that at the end. We should have been a bit tighter as a unit in the second half.

"I'm not so sure it was a penalty and there was certainly a lot of injury time, which I couldn't really work out.

"It was a great strike, but for us it was a very frustrating point."

Albion would have been happy with a point beforehand, but the manner of the outcome took the shine off a club record tenth away league game without defeat.

Their dejection emphasised how far they have come in a short space of time.

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