Albion boss Micky Adams watched his old chums' team increase the pressure on the Seagulls' automatic promotion bid on Saturday.

Adams was at Ninian Park to see Allan Cork's Cardiff beat nine-man Plymouth Argyle 4-1 in an explosive clash.

The Welshmen, who also had a player sent off, are now three points below Albion from the same number of games.

They will go above them into second if they triumph again at Shrewsbury on Tuesday.

Cork quit as Adams' number two earlier this season but they are still close friends. The Albion manager will be Cork's best man when he gets married again this summer.

There seemed little prospect of Plymouth doing the Seagulls a favour on Saturday once experienced striker Sean McArthy had been sent off for violent conduct early on.

Teenager Robert Earnshaw, Cardiff's answer to Bobby Zamora, broke the deadlock on 38 minutes to join the Albion hotshot on the 18-goal mark.

Argyle snatched an equaliser against the odds through Ian Stonebridge on 51 minutes.

Cardiff were then reduced to ten men and Plymouth nine, with James Harper red carded for the Welshmen and Brian McGlinchy for Argyle.

Former Gillingham striker Leo Fortune-West (69), Earnshaw (88) and Scott McCulloch (90) clinched the points for Cork's men.

Albion's next home match is against Cardiff on February 10 following the postponement on Thursday of today's Withdean fixture against Barnet.

Freezing temperatures meant extensive pitch re-turfing could not be completed in time.

Elsewhere, former Crawley striker Ben Abbey helped Albion's cause with two goals in the space of four minutes for Southend against Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road.

Play-off chasing Southend won 2-0 to leave Orient five points adrift of the Seagulls from the same number of games.

Table-topping Chesterfield are now nine points clear of Albion after a 3-0 win at Darlington, although they have played three matches more.

David Reeves gave the Spireites a 34th minute lead at Feethams, which was doubled by Sean Parrish on the stroke of half time.

Lawrie Dudfield added a late third for Chesterfield, who will extend their advantage over Albion to a dozen points if they win at York on Tuesday.