Albion turned the table on its head to match the leaders in an entertaining south coast derby.

Bobby Zamora put the rock-bottom Seagulls ahead with a superbly taken goal on 54 minutes, his seventh of the season.

Steve Coppell's battlers had to settle for their third League draw in a row when Stetoslav Todorov equalised with his 13th of the campaign for Portsmouth 10 minutes later.

The teams are divided by the length of the First Division and 40 points, but there was little evidence of the gulf.

A sell-out crowd of 6,848 at Withdean saw the Seagulls carry the game to the highflying visitors in the first half.

The influential Paul Brooker fired into the side netting early on and then set up a chance for Zamora, which he missed from close range.

Zamora made no mistake after Nigel Quashie's shot for Portsmouth struck a post early in the second half.

Albion's leading marksman, latching on to Brooker's through ball, held off challenges by two Pompey defenders to slot his first goal for seven games.

It was no more than Albion deserved at that stage, but Portsmouth fought back and Todorov turned to level with a right foot shot past Ben Roberts 10 minutes later.

Roberts, making his debut on loan from Charlton, had a fine game.

He smothered an effort from Quashie on the stroke of half time and produced a one-handed stop to foil Nigerian substitute Yakubu after the break.

Albion now have a fortnight's break before their next match at fellow strugglers Walsall.