Albion 4, Cambridge 3

Rogers resumed the captaincy duties with Oatway missing and Albion began with a 4-3-3 formation, Hart playing to the right and Brooker to the left of Zamora.

There was a nasty moment for Cambridge leftback Angus early on. He went crashing into one of the advertising hoardings as he tried to block a cross from Hart which finished with Carpenter firing wide from 20 yards. Angus was clutching his head as he received treatment and the visitors were reduced to ten men for a few minutes.

Perez had to be alert to cut out a low ball into the box by Watson, which picked out Zamora's run, just before Angus returned to the action.

An inswinging corner by Watson with his left foot was headed behind from beneath his own crossbar by Wanless.

The Cambridge captain also then headed away Watson's resulting corner kick, which had been headed on dangerously at the near post by Cullip.

Carpenter had a couple of shots blocked in swift succession and Hart was off target with a low effort from 25 yards as the Seagulls exerted a measure of supremacy in the early exchanges.

Hart missed a good chance when he headed over a left wing cross by Mayo ten yards out. It would not have counted in any case, referee Phil Prosser belatedly noticing that his assistant had flagged for the ball going out of play for a Cambridge throw-in.

Zamora showed he has a pretty good right foot as well as the left he often scores with when he delivered a pinpoint cross which Hart headed narrowly over from 12 yards.

Albion had dominated the opening 20 minutes both territorially and in terms of possession without forcing French keeper Perez into serious action.

The visitors, containing several youngsters in their ranks, showed as an attacking force for the first time when Chillingworth cut inside to hit a right foot shot wide from the edge of the box.

Albion made the breakthrough they deserved on 25 minutes with a well worked set piece finished off by Hart.

Jones' long throw was headed diagonally by Cullip for Hart to score with a swivelling right foot drive into the roof of the net.

But Hart's first home goal of the campaign was cancelled out within two minutes.

Wanless sent Tudor scurrying through the centre and the teenager calmly rounded the onrushing Royce to slot home.

Tudor's impressive finish justified the decision by Cambridge manager John Taylor to push forward the 19-year-old former loan signing from Wolves from his customary role on the right side of midfield.

Cullip collected the first caution of the contest 11 minutes from the break when he clattered into Guttridge ten yards inside the Cambridge half.

Hart's strike seemed to have put Albion on course for a comfortable afternoon, but Tudor's instant response had changed the mood of the match.

Albion, eager to re-establish their grip on the game, pressed forward once more in a bid to restore their advantage.

Rogers, fed by the advancing Morgan, let fly with a left foot shot on the turn from long range which was safely caught above his head by Perez.

Referee Prosser then played an intelligent advantage as Rogers was fouled in the process of finding Brooker on the left flank. His cross towards the near post was missed by inches by the flying Watson.

Zamora's first real opportunity to end his four-match famine did not arrive until the 43rd minute, when he drove into the side netting from an unkind angle.

Having thrown away 2-0 leads against Chesterfield and Blackpool over the Christmas period, Albion could ill afford to let slip another inviting victory opportunity against such lowly opposition.

The last thing they needed was to fall behind, which nearly happened when Wanless was crowded out moments from the interval.

Chillingworth was hurt in the incident, but he returned after treatment.

Cullip, having already been cautioned, was treading a fine line when he brought down Tudor on the left wing.

Albion's influential central defender was spoken to by referee Prosser although several Albion players were aggrieved that the ball already appeared to have gone out of play when Tudor latched on to the pass down the touchline.

Half-time: Albion 1, Cambridge 1.

Albion boss Peter Taylor decided a tactical change was necessary for the second half, so Jones was withdrawn and Webb introduced.

Zamora headed at Perez from Mayo's deep cross on 47 minutes, but Albion's young marksman only had to wait a further three minutes to get back on the scoring trail.

When he was fouled by Angus, referee Prosser initially awarded a free-kick just outside the area.

The Albion players pointed out that the linesman had his flag across his chest to indicate the offence had occurred inside the box.

Prosser changed his mind, awarded a penalty and Zamora made amends for having an early spot kick saved against Preston by sending Perez the wrong way.

Webb's first contribution of note was a yellow card for a foul on Duncan.

Incredibly Albion quickly threw away their advantage yet again.

Within four minutes of Zamora ending his drought a long range shot by Wanless was pushed straight into the path of Guttridge by Royce.

The Cambridge midfielder had the simplest of tasks to slot into the empty net.

It was a bad mistake by Royce. The effort from Wanless bounced once and was not particularly fierce, but Royce made rather a present of it to Guttridge.

A steward removed an object from the pitch, seemingly hurled from the South stand seats after Guttridge celebrated his equaliser in front of the Albion fans.

Cullip almost put Albion ahead for the third time with a backheader from a Watson free-kick which rebounded behind via the top of the bar.

Cambridge brought on Revell for Scully. The Seagulls responded with a double substitution, Pethick and Steele replacing Mayo and Brooker in a last desperate attempt to find a way through the visitors defence again.

The changes soon paid dividends as a cross from Pethick brushed off Webb's head for Zamora to cut inside and score right-footed 15 minutes from time.

Albion surely could not throw away the lead for a third time, but that is precisely what happened five minutes later.

Pethick went from hero to villain with a foul on substitute Revell inside the Albion area.

Cambridge defender Duncan was sent off for an incident off the ball before Wanless levelled again from the resulting penalty.

But just as it seemed Peter Taylor's winless streak would continue, Albion's goal king Zamora came to the rescue, thumping home a header in the final minute to complete his hat-trick.