Nathan Elder marked his first Albion start with a goal, just as manager Dean Wilkins predicted.

The former Billericay striker's first half header earned the Seagulls a point in a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham, who levelled with a controversial 87th minute penalty converted by captain John Finnegan.

Elder was awarded his full debut at Whaddon Road after a series of substitute appearances in the first team and a prolific run in the reserves.

He revealed: "The gaffer said to me before I went out that I would score. I don't know why but you cannot argue with that.

"If the gaffer says you are going to score then you just go with it.

"I don't think I could have wished for a better debut, although the win would have been nice. I am almost lost for words, just overwhelmed with the amount of support I've had from all the boys and the gaffer as well."

Wilkins said: "Nathan did well. His major strength is in the air and I thought we exploited that really well.

"He has got good power and physical strength and even when he wasn't getting the contact that he wanted, the defender wasn't getting any contact at all and that keeps the ball down the pitch.

"The only thing that disappointed me was that we did not go 2-0 up.

"I thought Nathan, with his aggression in and around the box, should have been awarded a penalty in the first half.

"It looked like a stonewall one to me. I think if we had gone 2-0 up then we would have gone on to score three or four."

A memorable day for Elder and Tommy Elphick, who impressed on his full away debut in the centre of defence, was marred when Elphick was penalised for handball inside the area by referee Paul Taylor.

It was an unfortunate coincidence, since Taylor was also the referee when Elphick's older brother Gary was sent off at Reading on his full debut for Albion in December 2005.

Wilkins said: "None of us saw it. I remember Paul, he did a game once down at the Goldstone on Boxing Day against Bristol Rovers when there was six inches of water on the pitch.

"He made a bad decision that day to let the game go ahead and I think he has made another bad one 15 or 20 years later."