Albion 0, Wrexham 0

Blackwood started on the left with Sam to the right of leading marksman Faulconbridge.

They started that way in last Saturday's last gasp 2-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers, when Thomas scored from a free-kick after 66 seconds.

The midfielder made a less positive impact on this occasion. He collected a third minute caution for kicking the ball away after he was penalised just inside his own half.

The wind was mainly against Albion in the first half and Kuipers also had the sun to contend with.

McPhee made a bright start, particularly when Melton dispossessed the 6ft 7ins Lawrence.

The huge stopper from Trinidad and Tobago tried to make amends for his mistake, but McPhee showed good strength to hold him off before he was denied by Carey.

Sam, Wrexham's other starter from Trinidad, angered fans in the south west corner when he appeared to catch Watson late as Albion's overlapping leftback crossed behind the Wrexham goal.

Referee Cooper missed the challenge, so play resumed with a goal kick.

Ferguson senior would have been proud of the free-kick his son produced in the 16th minute.

His left-footer from 25 yards had to be tipped over in acrobatic fashion by Kuipers and the big Dutchman then grabbed Fergerson's ensuing corner.

There was a major scare for the Seagulls midway through the half as Kuipers allowed a back pass from Pethick to slip under his foot.

It was rolling towards the empty net when he dived to stop it, leaving ref Cooper no choice other than to award Wrexham a free-kick right on the edge of the six yard box.

Thomas tapped the ball to Ferguson, but his effort was charged down by a mass of Albion bodies.

Kuipers was perhaps fortunate in the circumstances not to at least pick up a booking, considering that his illegal intervention prevented a goal.

Simultaneous treatment required by Carey and Hart gave Taylor an opportunity to issue instructions to captain Cullip.

Carey was unable to continue and handed the captain's armband to Ferguson as he limped off with a right leg injury to be replaced by Pejic.

Carey was stretchered away to the dressing rooms a few minutes later while Albion tried to put some pressure on the Wrexham defence from a Watson free-kick.

It was flicked on by Hart but calmly cleared by Holmes, with Morgan lurking.

The pitch was cutting up once more and the Seagulls were looking rather like a ship without a rudder in the absence of Zamora.

A shot on the turn by Faulconbridge at the near post from a cross by Phillips was comfortably held by Kuipers, moving to his left.

Hart was unable to shrug off his earlier knock, so Lee replaced him on the right side of midfield in the 34th minute.

It was Lee's first appearance for the Seagulls since the transfer swap which took Matthew Wicks to his former club Hull.

The departure of four-goal Hart left Watson as the top Albion scorer on the pitch with three.

The crowd were becoming a bit frustrated, but it was always going to be a day for patience for Albion, bereft of their star man against a side battling to beat the drop.

The Seagulls did not have a shot of any description until the 37th minute and that was sliced well off target by McPhee from 25 yards after he combined well with Melton.

Kuipers had to change direction to keep out a rebound off Sam after the giant Lawrence got his head to a free-kick delivered from the right by Ferguson.

Lawrence gifted Zamora both of his penalties at Wrexham in September with handling offences.

That and his stature suggested he was perhaps better suited to turning out tomorrow for Brighton Bears against Newcastle at the Triangle in Burgess Hill.

It was a tough introduction for McPhee against such a gigantic and awkward figure.

Albion's first shot on target arrived a minute before the break, Pethick striking a low right-footer from outside the area straight at the under-employed Rovde.

Albion's first corner of the contest deep into first half stoppage time was flicked on by Cullip but cleared by a combination of Lawrence and Ferguson.

Wrexham headed for the dressing rooms no doubt reasonably satisfied with the opening 45 minutes.

Half-time: Albion 0, Wrexham 0.

Albion, with the wind now in their favour, pinned Wrexham back inside their own penalty area in the early stages of the second half.

Lewis, still nursing a groin injury, popped up inside the visitors' box a couple of times following his two goals in his previous two starts.

There was more conviction about Albion now and a neat three-man move almost broke the deadlock.

Sam's control let him down just inside Wrexham territory, which allowed Brooker to free McPhee down the left.

He squared the cross for the advancing Melton, but Rovde got there just in time to smother.

Albion fell asleep at the back when Thomas, on target against them five months ago, escaped unmarked from a throw-in by Holmes.

Fortunately for the Seagulls he over-hit the cross and it almost proved costly for the Welshmen as Albion counter-attacked rapidly.

A shot by Carpenter from a central position outside the box was not held by Rovde, but Watson lifted the rebound narrowly over the bar from ten yards.

Blackwood miss-hit a shot well wide of the target, but ref Cooper ruled it had taken a deflection on the way to the annoyance and bemusement of the Albion defenders.

The official had words with Watson and Phillips for some argy-bargy close to the goal line before Ferguson's resulting corner was headed clear by Lewis.

Steele was introduced for Melton on 62 minutes as Albion reverted to 4-4-2 in search of a breakthrough.

Albion had a let off 15 minutes from time when Faulconbridge got his head to a high ball through the middle before Kuipers. Morgan raced back to hack the ball off the line.