Steve Coppell's meticulous management style almost helped Albion to three precious points at Highfield Road.

If the Seagulls fail to survive the drop it won't be for the want of trying. The players give their all and so does Coppell in his preparations for each match.

When I caught up with him last week, on the players' day off, he was at home studying video footage of Coventry.

Two days earlier, in unlikely surroundings at The Lashmar, home of East Preston, Coppell watched Paul Brooker operate effectively as a roving right winger.

So the plan was hatched. The attack-minded Brooker took over from the suspended Charlie Oatway and Simon Rodger in preference to the more conventional merits of the logical alternative, John Piercy.

It was an inspired choice as an enterprising Albion comprehensively outplayed the form team of the First Division.

Coppell, speaking from experience of being a top class winger himself, explained: "I had a specific game plan of how to play against them and it just involved playing one winger.

"Bozzy had some great parts to his game and some frustrating elements, that is the nature of the animal.

"All wingers live and die by service and what they create with the ball. He does an awful lot of positive things, but all of a sudden you wonder if it's the same player who has just created a great opportunity who then gives the ball away in a silly position.

"All in all I was very pleased with his contribution. I wanted him to play in similar vein to the way he did at East Preston.

"Obviously it was different quality opposition, but he still wanted to get forward which is all I've asked him to do.

"If he loses it in a positive sense then it's no problem. It's when he takes the safety first option all the time that I and the supporters are critical of him."

I am still trying to work out how Albion didn't score. They did everything but and looked like the team chasing a play-off place, not the one stuck at the bottom.

Coventry's player-manager Gary McAllister said: "We were a bit lacklustre but I was very impressed with Brighton.

"They passed it well. The front two were always a threat to us, joined by Steve Sidwell creating in the middle of the park and the two guys wide.

"I am not happy with our performance but Brighton were as good a side as we have seen at Highfield Road this season."

Bobby Zamora, back to his imperious best, caused Coventry endless problems in the air and on the deck.

He crashed a swivelling left-foot volley against the crossbar in the first half, when Graham Barrett also had a goal disallowed by a tight offside decision.

The way Coppell spoke about Barrett being more involved inside the box suggested he expects the Republic of Ireland international to be around for a while yet, rather than accepting a permanent move to Preston.

My hunch is that fellow Arsenal loan signing Sidwell, an impressive individual on and off the pitch, will see out the season with the Seagulls or go to a progressive club like Reading. It is terribly difficult for Albion to attract players of his ilk long-term until the issue of a new stadium at Falmer is resolved.

Stoke already have the set-up but Sidwell, a young Londoner, may not fancy a move to the Potteries, especially as he could end up back in the Second Division where he spent last season with Coppell's Brentford.

Sidwell's knack of breaking into the box was evident once more. He headed wide in the second half from a cross by Paul Watson, who had his best game for weeks.

Danny Cullip, an inspirational skipper yet again, also clipped the top of the crossbar with an angled header when a Watson corner wasn't cleared.

On countless other occasions Albion had shots which were blocked, saved by punch-happy Dane Morten Hyldgaard, or narrowly missed both the target and a decisive touch from a lunging team-mate.

Coventry only seriously threatened twice. Bosnian stopper Muhamed Konjic should have put them ahead against the run of play midway through the first half.

He had time and space to control the ball and pick his spot from the edge of the six-yard box following a corner, but dragged his volley well wide of the far post.

Michel Kuipers excelled the one time he was called into serious action, a flying stop from Richie Partridge's fierce drive with 15 minutes left clinching consecutive clean sheets away from home.

Results elsewhere were cruelly unkind. Stoke drew at Leicester and Grimsby at Wimbledon, while Sheffield Wednesday came from 2-0 behind at home to beat Reading. You would have got long odds on none of the bottom four losing.

"I am not bothered about other results," Coppell said. "We have got to get 40-odd points. Going up the League one point at a time is slow progress, but a lot better than being static."

The most important statistic is unchanged. Albion are still six points adrift of safety. What they must do to survive is turn some of the draws into wins, especially when they play as well as this.

Albion (5-2-1-2): Kuipers (gk) 8; Watson (rwb) 8, Mayo (cd) 8, Cullip (cd) 9, Brooker (f) 8, Carpenter (m) 8, Pethick (cd) 8, Jones (lwb) 8, Zamora (f) 9, Barrett (f) 8, Sidwell (m) 8. Subs: Blackwell, Rogers, Packham, Hinshelwood, Piercy.

Coventry (4-4-2): Hyldgaard; Pead, Konjic, Shaw, Eustace, Partridge, McAllister, Quinn, Holdsworth, Sara, Betts. Subs: Mills, Strachan, McSheffrey, Davenport, Montgomery.

Bookings: None.

Half-Time: Coventry 0 Albion 0.

Attendance: 15,951.

Fan's View: Karl Francis (Lewes)

A great team performance, with Cullip again outstanding, which ultimately deserved more than a point.

With 19 League games left, if the Albion can play like this in 75 per cent of them, they could have a fighting chance of staying up.

Ten wins and three draws would take us to 52 points. It's a big ask, I know, but if Steve Coppell can keep this squad together then it could still happen.

Steve Sidwell staying is a big part of the great escape 2003 and funds must be found to make him stay.

I don't care where Dick Knight gets the money from, aside from Bill Archer that is, but Sidwell must remain an Albion player if the we want to play Division One football next season.

If the Albion can play like that next Saturday, I think we'll give Pompey a surprise, we may not beat them, but a draw is a possibility.