Albion 2, Fulham 2

There are not many times, even for a second season side in the Premier League, that a home draw against a promoted club can be regarded as a point gained.

Yet, come the final reckoning next May, the result salvaged by Glenn Murray from 2-0 down midway through the second half could grow in value.

A point per game average keeps you up. Threequarters of a point per game sends you down.

The Premier League for the majority laying down survival as the initial marker is all about fine margins.

Albion head into the first international break in decent shape after the opening section of the season.

Four points from as many matches is a healthy enough haul, considering two of them have been against Manchester United and Liverpool.

For the next fortnight before they resume again at Southampton there will be a feelgood factor, rather than the crushing disappointment of a rare home defeat self-inflicted.

Comebacks of this nature are unusual. Albion, admittedly, have not been two goals down that often in recent seasons.

But you have to go back 18 months to Brentford for the last time they rescued a result from such a disadvantage.

Even further at the Amex, all the way back to December 2015, when they actually beat Charlton with the aid of playing against ten men for the final half-hour.

The Argus: Bobby Zamora was one of the scorers then. Albion's latest ambassador tweeted his appreciation at the part played by Murray (above) in the honours being shared between two of his former clubs.

A handshake between Zamora and Murray before the Seagulls defeated Manchester United again at the Amex was out of mutual admiration. Both know a goalscorer when they see one.

Murray has been inspired since facing fresh competition from Leo Ulloa and Jurgen Locadia in January.

Only Mo Salah and Sergio Aguero have bagged more home goals in the top flight this year than Albion's dependable marksman.

Murray raised his 2018 Amex tally to eight with a pointsaving double. The first, set up by Anthony Knockaert, was swept in.

The second, with six minutes left, was a high-pressure penalty, particularly after the failures last season against Burnley and Leicester which saw him replaced in the role by Pascal Gross.

He buried it and there is no evidence that, at 34, Murray is slowing up in terms of hunger and goalscoring desire.

Hughton (below) said: "I don't think it was one of Glenn’s better games. That’s what Glenn does, he has a knack of being in the right place and he has a great desire to score goals.

The Argus: "So generally if there’s build-up play and you know the ball is going to the front and it’s going to work itself wide, he’s in the box, and he will be sprinting in the box.

"We try to look after him as well as we can. He trains most days the same as anybody else, he has good days and bad days the same as everyone. He’s a very good professional. He certainly looks after himself as regards how he goes about his life, what he eats, his preparation. So he does everything right but it’s the individual.

"There are some players in our dressing room who might finish at 31 and others might go on to 34, 35. We’ve got Bruno who hasn’t changed much for many years and he’s 37."

Murray has a strong case to be restored as penalty taker after Gross's first half spot-kick, struck low but unconvincingly, was saved by Marcus Bettinelli.

The German was fortunate to beat David De Gea against United. Gross's ankle required strapping earlier in the match and he had been replaced by Yves Bissouma before Murray launched his rescue mission.

Even if Gross (below) is fit and picked, Murray would be a safer bet at St Mary's where he scored from the spot last season.

The Argus: His cleverness won the penalty in the first instance. He left the ball in the build-up when we would have been offside, then re-engaged to collect Knockaert's pass inside and invite Luciano Vietto to bring him down.

The performance by Murray's Fulham counterpart, Aleksandar Mitrovic, was almost as good. The Serb showed why Hughton was keen to sign him in January with a vigorous display which occupied the fit-again Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy.

Dunk, rusty after missing a fortnight's training, gifted Mitrovic his third goal in two games. He dallied contemplating a backpass, was caught in possession and punished at the second attempt after Mathew Ryan kept out the Fulham centre-forward's initial effort.

Mitrovic's contribution was marred by the needless handball, controlling it with his arm under no pressure as it fell from the sky, which presented Murray with the opportunity of parity.

Albion showed considerable character to respond, having temporarily felt sorry for themselves as what should have been 1-0 up became 1-0 down just before the interval, Andre Schurrle latching onto an exquisite clip by Jean Michael Seri to slot Fulham ahead.

Their heads might easily have dropped beyond recall when Mitrovic left them further adrift shortly after Solly March, put through by Davy Propper, fired wastefully over.

Instead, Hughton has a satisfying start to comfort him over the next two weeks. "I would have to say pleased," he said. "There's probably only one game I've not been pleased with, which is Watford, and there are some negative bits.

"The second goal was a poor goal to concede, we need to do better in that final third, and we allowed our heads to drop after we missed a penalty, but more positives."