Albion won on penalties at Withdean again – after letting another lead slip.

It should never have got as far as the lottery of spot-kicks.

The Seagulls were 2-0 up early on and rampant but, frustratingly for Micky Adams, continued the pattern of conceding an advantage and ending up drawing.

Adams’ men held their nerve to prevail in the shoot-out, just as they had so dramatically in the Carling Cup against Manchester City, although their progress through to the Southern Section quarter finals of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy was tinged with controversy.

Orient were 3-2 ahead when Jamie Jones saved Adam Virgo’s fourth penalty for the Seagulls, only for referee James Linington to order a re-take for the keeper moving off his line.

Virgo scored second time around and, after Michel Kuipers saved Luke Ashworth’s sixth penalty for the visitors with his legs, Adam El-Abd calmly maintained Albion’s 100 per cent record in cup competitions this season.

The Seagulls have now won six, drawn five and lost two in all competitions so far, a pretty good record which would look even better if they could start making winning positions count.

Adams had given another chance to the back four which leaked three goals against Cheltenham on Saturday.

He resisted the temptation to rest Tommy Elphick, who went into the match a booking away from a ban. El-Abd took over from David Livermore in central midfield alongside Robbie Savage and Dean Cox was handed his first start on the left wing since last month’s home defeat by nine-man Walsall.

Virgo, as expected, was switched upfront to partner Joe Anyinsah in the absence through injury of first choice strikers Glenn Murray and Nicky Forster.

Vice captain Steven Thomson was included on the bench after recovering from a virus but injury ruled Gary Hart out of the squad.

Albion’s second string strikers were both on target in the opening 14 minutes of the contest.

The Seagulls felt hard done by against Cheltenham, claiming the ball had gone out of play for a throw in the build-up to the visitors’ equalising in stoppage time with ten men. This time they were on the right end of a dubious decision in the fourth minute. Their seemed to be minimal contact when Anyinsah, latching on to a pass from Cox, was challenged inside the area by Brian Saah.

Replacement referee James Linington, standing in for the injured Richard Beeby, pointed to the spot to the shock of the Orient players.

Virgo, both deputy captain and penalty taker, sent Jones the wrong way for his fourth goal of the season.

Anyinsah, on target as a substitute in Albion’s memorable Carling Cup victory over Manchester City, got in on the act ten minutes later.

The on-loan front man from Preston raced on to a clearance from Matt Richards, outmuscling and outpacing Ashworth in the process before coolly slotting past Jones.

Albion had other opportunities, Anyinsah heading over from Cox’s cross and having a shot from an acute angle blocked by Jones with his chest for a corner.

The young Orient custodian almost gifted the Seagulls a third goal in the 20th minute when he slipped from a backpass. The ball rolled under his foot towards the vacant net but he recovered in the nick of time.

It was almost a temporary reprieve as, from Savage’s resulting corner, Elphick flicked on and Anyinsah’s far post header was cleared off the line.

Instead of 3-0 and game over it was 2-1 just a minute later when Aiden Palmer’s deep cross from the left was met by Ryan Jarvis with an angled header past Kuipers.

Halving their arrears lifted the visitors and the rest of the first half was much more even than had been the case during Albion’s flying start.

Kevin Thornton, given licence to drift in-field from his position on the right, saw plenty of the ball early on but his influence gradually waned. By contrast, Jason Demetriou, Orient’s highly rated winger, became more of a threat.

Kuipers had to parry his long-range effort early in the second half and Demetriou had further shots, one giving the Dutchman a routine save, the other going over the bar.

Albion, by this juncture, were offering little as an attacking threat.

It was no great surprise when Orient levelled with 19 minutes remaining and there were fewer arguments this time about the award of a penalty as Hawkins barged over Adam Chambers.

The Irish centre half was miffed, mind you. He had his name taken before Orient’s top scorer Adam Boyd, brought on after an hour, squared the tie.

Kuipers came agonisingly close to saving his spot-kick. He guessed the right way and got both hands to it but the ball looped gently into the opposite corner of the net for Boyd’s sixth of the season.

He scored as well when Orient also recovered from 2-0 down against Scunthorpe ten men at the weekend but that was no consolation to Albion in letting a lead slip yet again.

Virgo nearly spared them the lottery of the penalty shoot-out with a turn and shot from a tight angle in the closing stages which Jones diverted for a corner.

Little did we know then that Jones and Virgo would be the central figures in the controversial conclusion.

ALBION (4-4-2): Kuipers; Whing, Elphick, Hawkins, Richards; Thornton, El-Abd, Savage, Cox; Anyinsah, Virgo.

Subs: Robinson for Anyinsah (withdrawn, 67), Thomson, Livermore, Loft, Fraser.

Scorers: Virgo (4, penalty), Anyinsah (14).

Red Cards: None.

Yellow Cards: Hawkins (71) dissent, Robinson (81) foul.

LEYTON ORIENT (4-4-2): Jones; Cave-Brown, Ashworth, Saah, Palmer; Baker, Chambers, Terry Demetriou; Dawkins, Jarvis.

Subs: Boyd for Dawkins (withdrawn, 60), Purches for Cave-Brown (withdrawn, 70), Morris, Shields, B Gray.

Scorers: Jarvis (21), Boyd (71, penalty).

Red Cards: None.

Yellow Cards: Jones (90) dissent.