Guy Butters today highlighted the increasingly mature role played by his sidekick after Albion's defensive kingpins stood strong at Blackpool.

Centre-backs Butters and Joel Lynch tied for star man honours with the man between the sticks, Scott Flinders, as the Seagulls forged a third cleansheet in their last six away games.

Ever so quietly, Lynch has strung together a series of highly effective displays dating back to the Cup tie at West Ham, if not before.

His pace, stature and touch remain assets and he seems to be toughening up physically and mentally.

Form like that needs to be sustained over a long period. Butters will appreciate that.

But he also gets the best view of how his young colleague is progressing.

When it was suggested Lynch was back to his best, Butters replied: "I think he has been playing really well anyway.

"Maybe there has been the odd little mistake which has got punished. But Joel has been absolutely magnificent this season.

"It is his first real season where he has had to stand up and in a way help a lot of people around him. Out of all the younger lads he is probably the most senior.

"That puts an extra responsibility on him and I think he has carried that."

Butters felt the pattern of Saturday's game was largely down to the blustery wind helping the team attacking towards the enclosed end.

That meant Blackpool's best spells came after half-time.

Although Flinders made two topclass saves and handled impressively, there were also at least three occasions when his defenders did the blocking for him.

Butters' best moment came when he flung himself as a formidable barrier as Andy Morrell looked poised to fire in from close range.

He said: "I thought There's a big frame there, you've got got to use it mate and dive in the way'.

"Fortunately he hit it along the floor. If he had hit it higher I think it would have gone in. I was just glad to get a block on it.

"Three or four of the lads dived in front of the ball.

That's what it's all about, defending in there.

"We knew it was going to be a tight game. Coming in at half-time the gaffer said Look, unless we pick the pace up a bit we're going to be struggling here'.

"They had the wind behind them. They were going towards their own crowd, the crowd got behind them in the second half and we defended for a long period.

"But we are one of those teams who have proved all the way through the season that we like soaking up a bit of pressure.

"We like hitting teams on the break. We are set up for that in a way."

That ability to spring quickly led to another great save, by Paul Rachubka from Jake Robinson, with Butters this time just a spectator.

He said: "I was right behind it. I was celebrating but the keeper has pulled off a magnificent save. Another day that goes in, three points."