Albion are putting the squeeze on the Second Division leaders again after grabbing a hard-earned point at Queens Park Rangers.

The Seagulls, marshalled by Danny Cullip, extended their unbeaten League run under Peter Taylor to ten matches in a 0-0 draw at Loftus Road.

The noon stalemate was enough to lift Albion up a place to third as other results later in the afternoon went their way.

Leaders Brentford were beaten 2-1 at lowly Cambridge United and Bristol City also lost 1-0 at Port Vale.

Second-placed Stoke drew 2-2 at Tranmere and Albion are now level on points with both the Potteries club and Brentford, who have played a match more.

Taylor said: "It was a good performance, very hard working, which you have to be against QPR. It is one of the biggest tests in this division away from home.

"We were very solid. There weren't many chances and both keepers didn't have a lot to do. There was a period in the second half when we gave the ball away too cheaply and if you do that you are encouraging pressure, but there were a lot more positives. I thought we might have nicked it but Ian (Holloway) probably feels the same."

Rangers' boss Holloway said: "I felt we had the better of the game. They are very organised and we didn't quite have the belief or conviction to turn it into a win.

"You can see why they are a good side and consistent, but we are getting better. They are the benchmark and you have to give them credit. They dropped very deep and defended very well, although I never felt they were going to score."

The shoot-out between Bobby Zamora and Andy Thomson, the most prolific marksmen in the Second Division, never materialised.

Zamora's run of goals in ten successive appearances came to an end and Thomson was kept quiet as Simon Royce celebrated his Albion debut with a shut-out.

Royce, on loan from Leicester for a month to cover for the injured Michel Kuipers, only met his new team-mates a few hours before the kick-off.

"I'm very pleased," he said. "It was a bit of a battle. I thought we had the best of the first half, then it was a bit backs to the wall in the second half but the lads ground out a result and it's nice to start with a clean one."

Taylor also gave a debut up front to Daniel Webb, although the teenager was replaced in the second half by Lee Steele.