Albion 0 Scunthorpe 0 Albion became victims of their own success in a bore draw.

And manager Micky Adams has warned players and fans alike to expect more of the same at Withdean now that the Seagulls are regarded as contenders for promotion.

Scunthorpe's response to their five-match winning streak was to unashamedly come for a point.

They defended in depth and incurred the displeasure of another near-capacity Withdean crowd by time wasting at every opportunity.

Adams revealed: "I said to my players afterwards their reputation is growing in this division and they are going to have to find ways of breaking teams down when they defend as resolutely as Scunthorpe did.

"The fans are going to have to learn to live with a little bit of frustration, because teams aren't going to come here, roll over and die."

Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws was in no mood to apologise for his negative tactics.

"I was delighted with the result," he said. "Any team coming to Brighton is going to have a tough game.

"It's a tight pitch, they've had a good run and my players put a lot of effort in.

"Brighton are strong in all areas, but we minimised them. I thought we had the better chances.

"They have got to earn the right to win their games and they didn't. We earnt what we got."

The method was dull and Laws' words will not find much favour with the rain-soaked Albion supporters who vented their anger at his team's approach. But he had a point, and I am not just talking about the result.

The fans, spoilt by a hat-trick of convincing home victories and 11 goals, anticipated another comprehensive win.

That fuelled their frustration as Scunthorpe, with a solitary draw from their previous four away outings, displayed a dogged determination to ignore the intended script.

The mood of impatience transmitted itself to the players, as Adams acknowledged. Albion maintained their recent fluency in the first half, passing with composure and confidence on a playing surface in remarkable condition considering the amount of rain that had fallen on it.

After the break though the growing anxiety encouraged them to pump the ball forward too quickly for their own good.

Adams said: "I was slightly disappointed with the number of long balls. In the first half we did everything I wanted us to. In the second half, as we became more frustrated, we started to hit it from back to front."

Adams must have feared it might not be his side's day when he got stuck in the traffic jam caused by an accident close to the junction of the A23 and A27, which delayed the kick-off for 15 minutes.

It was ironic that the teams with the highest shots on target stats in the division proved so goal-shy.

Gary Hart had Albion's best effort. Remember Gazza's goal in Euro '96 against the Scots, when he flicked the ball over Colin Hendry?

Hart did something similar to Scunthorpe's impressive young skipper Nathan Stanton in the first half, only for keeper Thomas Evans to then block his shot.

Lee Hodges came closest to breaking the suffocating stalemate early in the second half. The lively former West Ham midfielder's left-foot drive following a weaving run hit the bar, but Scunthorpe's lack of ambition was unworthy or a winning reward.

A draw was a fair result and the blank scoresheet was testimony to some accomplished defending. Teenager Stanton, an ex-England under 16 international, looks a good prospect while Danny Cullip and Matthew Wicks were rocks for Albion again.

Cullip in particular nullified the threat posed by the recently prolific Cameroon forward Guy Ipoua.

Hodges' effort apart, Michel Kuipers was hardly bothered on his home debut as the Seagulls chalked up their sixth clean sheet in a row. As Adams observed: "I could have played in goal."

That was not the only pleasing aspect. I can recall several matches of this kind at Withdean last season which Albion lost.

"After five wins on the trot the floating spectator would have gone away disappointed, but I am delighted really," Adams added. "It was a point gained rather than two lost.

"We are defending as a unit very well and the keeper is not having a lot to do, which is a sign of a good team."

Adams even had words of well deserved praise for Stadium managers Ecovert South, where in the past there has often been vitriol.

The groundstaff did a sterling job to get the pitch into such respectable shape after the deluge which left large areas of it under water just 48 hours earlier.