Albion's resilent defenders wer being hailed heroes again today after shutting out one of the most profitable strike partnerships in Division Two.

Albion's rearguard, including two teenagers and a half-fit goalkeeper, knew they'd have to be on top of their game if they were to deny Swindon strikers Tommy Mooney and Sam Parkin adding to their tallies of 19 goals each in a near-perfect double-act this season.

Mooney has the experience, with two play-off successes with Watford and Birmingham under his belt, while 22-year-old Parkin has youth on his side.

Their strike-rate meant Swindon have failed to score just once in the League at home this season.

Nor are they short of confidence, Mooney predicted in the papers the goal blitz was going to continue against Albion in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals at the County Ground.

They had obviously not counted on the defence they were going to be up against.

For a while Mooney's confidence looked justified as he headed narrowly wide from close range early on to frighten the Albion supporters.

He then slammed a shot against the bar from eight yards after 63 minutes and Parkin, who has already scored three times against Albion this season, saw his header from the rebound tipped over by Ben Roberts.

But after that there was nothing. Even when Richard Carpenter fired in a deflected winner, Mooney and Parkin could not stir themselves to trouble Roberts again.

The Albion keeper is one game away from equalling the club record for seven consecutive clean sheets, not bad for a player who struggled to train during the week with a foot injury.

Centre backs Guy Butters and Danny Cullip showed why they were voted one and two in the supporters' player-of-the-year award.

They were immense but at the same time would have been left quietly surprised not to be given a tougher examination by the home side's supposed hot-shots.

However, the real success for Mark McGhee were the performances of his teenage fullbacks.

Not many managers would have had the courage to stick with Dan Harding and Adam Virgo in the lottery of the play-offs, especially with the experienced Kerry Mayo on the bench.

However, having seen them more than hold their own after coming into the side three months ago, McGhee kept faith and they repaid him with displays beyond their years.

Virgo showed he was up for the task after just 19 minutes with a bone-shaking tackle on Brian Howard, when the left winger looked to have broken free.

Harding recovered from an early mistake and grew in confidence as the game went on despite facing Swindon's play-maker, Sammy Igoe, in the second half.

The emergence of Albion's two young players will go down as the big success of the season whatever the outcome of the play-offs.

Continued play-off success will depend on what happens in the second leg on Thursday but the noisey Albion supporters who travelled to Wiltshire can expect the same type of battling performance.

McGhee hinted he would not change his defensive tactics having got the crucial advantage going into the second half of the tie.

It was a smash-and-grab raid for the Seagulls and with the quality they have at the back, McGhee would be foolish to try anything else.

That is not taking anything away from strikers Leon Knight and Chris Iwelumo, who both failed to have a clear shot at goal.

McGhee knows that having the division's leading goalscorer with 25 goals and a 6ft 5in forward who looks dangerous at every setpiece, means goals will not be hard to come by if needed.

There is also the Withdean factor. Albion have failed to score in just three games at their temporary home this season and have lost just twice.

Albion fans may have been wearing the John Prescott masks they cut out of The Argus to support the campaign for a new ground at Falmer but they will now be hoping the Seagulls can keep up their incredible record at their current one.

That will be difficult with Mooney and Parkin looking to make amends for drawing a blank but if Albion's defence plays like this again they will have no worries.