Knowing how to get the best out of your players is an obvious and yet much under-estimated part of the art of management.

Leon Knight and Albert Jarrett are playing the best football of their Albion careers this season under Mark McGhee and now the Coca-Cola Kid has fizzed into life following some wise words of advice from the manager.

McGhee has been delivering a consistent message to Colin Kazim-Richards throughout his subdued start for the Seagulls - it's no good looking like a player if you don't perform like one.

Socks pulled up over the knee Thierry Henry style and flashy white or gold boots are all very well, providing you live up to the hype.

Having your transfer fee funded by the proceeds of a Coca-Cola competition won by a supporter is attention-grabbing enough, without giving chiselled central defenders in the Championship any extra incentive to mark you out of the game.

McGhee advised Kazim-Richards to give his eye-catching footwear the boot and, hey presto, he scores his first goal with his first touch after replacing Jake Robinson.

A load of old cobblers? Perhaps but that doesn't matter as long as Kazim-Richards, a precocious talent, keeps performing the way he did for the last half-hour or so of another hugely enjoyable encounter alongside his dressing room chum and fellow Londoner Knight.

Kazim-Richards believes he can, now that Albion are playing with two strikers. "That's the longest I've had with two up front, apart from the Shrewsbury game where I didn't really do well," he said.

"Other than that I've played as a lone striker, which the gaffer thought we had to play at the time, so I'm not going to complain about that."

Being the 'chosen one' is quite a burden to carry on such young and inexperienced shoulders but Kazim-Richards insists the unusual nature of his move from Bury is not weighing him down.

"I don't feel under pressure, I am under pressure from myself," he said. "It's nice to be the Coca-Cola kid but, even if that wasn't there, I'd have the same expectations to come here and do well."

Albion had just fallen behind for the second time when Kazim-Richards was given his chance to sparkle. His impact was instant, a positive run which took him past Andrew Whing following a throw-in and an authoritative finish with the outside of his right foot from an unkind angle.

It capped a hectic burst of three goals in the space of five minutes at the start of the second half as the Seagulls restored then immediately surrendered parity. Paul McShane, uncharacteristically off-colour in the first half, had gifted Coventry a 39th- minute lead by turning a left-wing cross from Stephen Hughes past the returning Alan Blayney.

Knight levelled in the 49th minute, nodding in his third of the season from virtually on the goal-line after Jarrett's cross rebounded off the far post.

Coventry were back in front a minute later, a loss of concentration allowing Claus Jorgensen an unchallenged header from Marcus Hall's centre.

Kazim-Richards completed the scoring, although there were countless other chances for both sides in a contest which ebbed and flowed from beginning to end.

Jarrett must be wondering how he is still waiting for his first home goal. The enigmatic left winger had a toe-poke headed off the line by Whing in first-half injury time and there was some confusion over whether the ball had already crossed the line when Knight stooped to conquer.

McGhee confirmed it was Knight's goal and also confirmed his admiration for Jarrett's emerging contribution. "Albert has played in fits and starts. We have all thought he's a good runner and sometimes he does tricky things and sometimes he looks exciting but his performance was complete.

"He worked for the team, he passed the ball, ran with the ball and crossed the ball. I thought he was absolutely terrific."

Sebastien Carole was not far behind on the other flank, while the imposing Dele Adebola posed a contrasting set of problems to the Albion defence with his physique and power.

McGhee regarded it as a point gained. "I'm pretty satisfied," he said. "Their second goal was disappointing but we made lots of chances again. We have got to convert more of them at important stages of the game but I am satisfied we are going in the right direction.

"I go back to Crewe last season when we lost to them twice and ended up scrapping on the last day. I think we now consider ourselves in a pack of teams like Coventry, Leicester, Burnley, Crewe and Hull, so it's important we don't lose to these teams.

"In terms of points we are not any further forward than we were 12 months ago but in terms of the way we are playing I think people are going home happy.

"We are asking people to pay money to come and see us and complaining because we can't get more people in. Eventually we will have a stadium and we will want more people in. If we are playing a brand of football that people want to watch that is going to help.

"When you hear of so many teams in the Premiership and in this division playing 4-5-1, getting everybody behind the ball, and you see us playing 4-4-2 with two very lightweight forwards and two very lightweight wingers I think we deserve some credit."

Here here to that, although Micky Adams' summary of his current club can also be applied to his old one. Coventry's former Albion manager said: "I am pleased with the efforts of the players.

"They are working as hard as they possibly can. What we have got to do is turn some of these draws into wins."

  • Albion (4-4-2): Blayney 7; Hart 7, McShane 6, Butters 7, Reid 7; Carole 8, Carpenter 7, Hammond 7, Jarrett 9; Robinson 6, Knight 8. Subs: Kazim-Richards for Robinson (withdrawn 53), Frutos for Carole (withdrawn 88), Oatway, Elphick, Chaigneau.
  • Coventry (4-4-2): Bywater; Duffy, Whing, Page, Hall; Jorgensen, Doyle, Hughes, McSheffrey; Adebola, Scowcroft. Subs: Watson for Duffy (injured 64), Morrell for McSheffrey (withdrawn 76), Osbourne for Hughes (withdrawn 84), Ince, Flood.
  • Matchfacts
  • - Shots on goal: Albion 11, Coventry 10.

- Shots off goal: Albion 7, Coventry 6.

- Corners: Albion 6, Coventry 6.

- Off-side: Albion 2, Coventry 1.

- Free-kicks: Albion 11, Coventry15.

  • Albion bookings: None.
  • Coventry bookings: Scowcroft (33) foul, Hughes (55) foul, Jorgensen (90) dissent.
  • Albion scorers: Knight (49), Kazim-Richards (54).
  • Coventry scorers: McShane own goal (39), Jorgensen (50).