Albion restored pride with a performance of real character to end a five-match losing streak against high-flying Scunthorpe.

Dean Wilkins' rejuvenated side made the most of playing against ten men for 73 minutes after Scunthorpe centre half Steve Foster had been sent off for swinging an arm at Sam Williams.

Goals by Dean Cox and Gary Hart turned the form book on its head, inspite of an unnerving equaliser by Billy Sharp for the hosts shortly before the break.

It was a spirited and much more solid display by the Seagulls in overcoming a team who had won five of their six previous games without conceding a goal.

Albion cannot have gone to an unfashionable club like Scunthorpe too many times in the past as overwhelming underdogs but that was certainly the case on this occasion.

Fans, their numbers dwindling at Withdean, journeyed north more in hope than expectation after the demoralising losing run and a series of below-par performances.

The mood at Glanford Park these days is contrastingly buoyant.

Long-serving boss Brian Laws was named manager of the month for September and luminaries such as Sir Alex Ferguson voted their preceding 4-0 victory at Nottingham Forest as performance of the week.

Wilkins, yet to name an unchanged side, wielded the axe following last Sunday's 3-0 debacle at home to Blackpool.

Captain Richard Carpenter and Adam El-Abd did not even make the travelling party, in Carpenter's case because of a groin injury.

Joel Lynch and Michel Kuipers were relegated to the bench, with Wayne Henderson, Adam Hinshelwood, Hart and Tommy Fraser all returning to the line-up.

Wilkins sensibly reverted to a 4-4-2 formation in a back to basics approach, Alex Revell lending support to on-loan teenager Williams upfront.

Laws' selection was far more straightforward. He not suprisingly named the same side which pulled off such an eye-catching result at the City Ground.

Scunthorpe started in the manner of a team brimming with confidence.

They made all of the early running without causing the Seagulls many serious concerns.

Henderson, fresh from his impressive full debut for the Republic of Ireland against the Czech Republic, had to be alert to save at the feet of the prolific Sharp when Kerry Mayo was slow in clearing and the ball ricocheted across the face of the box.

Ian Morris cut inside from the left wing to fire wide from just outside the area and there was one early example of the fruitful partnership between Sharp and Andy Keogh.

The 20-year-old duo combined threateningly in the tenth minute, Sharp setting up Keogh for a right-foot shot narrowly wide of the target.

Albion's disciplinary record is giving cause for concern, so it was an unexpected bonus for their opponents to be reduced to ten men just 17 minutes into the contest.

Foster was involved in a clash with Williams close to the touchline which left Albion's young centre forward from Aston Villa requiring treatment.

Referee Darren Deadman stunned the home supporters by showing Foster a straight red card, while also booking Andrew Whing for the on-loan Coventry rightback's involvement in the melee arising from Foster's challenge.

Deadman is evidently a strict disciplinarian. Foster became the fourth player he has dismissed in eight matches and Whing, the 28th he has cautioned.

Scunthorpe, taken aback by the blow, were still trying to come to terms with their numerical disadvantage when Albion seized the lead with their first serious attempt at goal in the 22nd minute.

Foster's absence from the heart of the defence was felt as Whing whipped over a cross from the right for Cox, the smallest player on the pitch, to stoop to conquer.

The Seagulls' left-wing midget stole in with a header into the ground which bounced beyond the left hand of keeper Joe Murphy for his fourth goal of the campaign.

Albion commanded proceedings for a period after the breakthrough but the complexion of the match took another twist three minutes from the break with an equaliser somewhat out of the blue for Scunthorpe.

A cross by the overlapping Morris was headed against his own upright by Hinshelwood, making his first start of the season.

Henderson reacted smartly to deny Sharp from the rebound but could do nothing as the ball broke back for the in-form striker to lift his season's tally into double figures.

It was a pity for Albion, because Henderson had been virtually untroubled in the first half and they had made effective use of their extra man.

It was not a good day to be a Williams.

Albion's Sam and Scunthorpe's Marcus did not reappear for the second half, Jake Robinson coming on for the Seagulls.

He almost made an immediate impact when he latched onto a pass by Fraser which opened up the retreating Scunthorpe defence.

Robinson went for goal himself and his effort from a tight angle was blocked for a corner by keeper Murphy, with Revell screaming for a cross in the middle.

It was a missed opportunity but it did not prove costly as Albion went ahead once more in the 52nd minute.

Whing was again the provider.

The attack-minded fullback beat his man and cut in-field to deliver a low cross towards the near post which Gary Hart helped into the far corner of the net.

Hart was booked for his over-exuberant celebration of his second goal of the season with the 300 Albion fans in the seats behind.

The Seagulls nearly put the game beyond Scunthorpe's reach a few minutes later, Cox meeting a cross from Fraser with a swivelling volley which was saved by Murphy.

Laws made a bold substitution with half an hour remaining in a bid to rescue Scunthorpe from a first defeat in seven outings.

He brought on veteran striker Steve Torpey, making his comeback from a thigh injury, at the expense of the left-sided Morris to form a three-pronged attack with Sharp and Keogh.

Hearts were in mouths in the 76th minute when an overhead kick by Andy Crosby, the Scunthorpe skipper and former Albion centre half, was dropped into his own net by Henderson but he was barged in the process by the muscular Torpey and referee Deadman rightly awarded a free-kick.

Tempers flared after the final whistle and Albion's substitute goalkeeper Kuipers had to keep apart Sharp and Hinshelwood as the Scunthorpe goalscorer, one of six players to be booked, lost his head.