It may have been snowing in Brighton on Saturday morning but there wasn't a flake to be seen at Bloomfield Road.

The pitch looked soft and reasonably suited to two teams that like to play football.

Both defences had to be on their guard in the early exchanges.

Blackpool's Richard Walker had the first attempt on goal in the seventh minute, his header from Bullock's right wing centre looping over the crossbar although Royce had it well covered.

O'Kane had his name taken shortly afterwards for a reckless high challenge on Jones close to the halfway line.

Jones was the culprit on 17 minutes of one of the misses of the season.

Rogers released Steele down the right flank and he took on Jaszczun before squaring the most inviting of crosses to Jones.

He was five yards out with the goal gaping but somehow contrived to miss the target.

Steele was harshly cautioned a couple of minutes later for a challenge on keeper Barnes as he pursued an unconvincing backpass by Thompson.

Steele responded in the best way possible, sparing Jones' blushes with a superbly taken goal in the 21st minute.

Zamora's header sent the former Shrewsbury marksmen sprinting towards the Blackpool box.

His speed took him wide of both Marshall's challenge and that of the sprawling Barnes to slot into the net from a tight angle.

Blackpool's cause was not being helped by some rather casual defending.

Marshall, on loan from Bolton, was the guilty party on the half-hour mark in allowing Steele to dispossess him five yards in from the corner flag.

Steele's ensuing low cross was on its way to the unmarked Zamora when Barnes dived full length to cut it out.

The home defence was caught napping once more by a quickly taken free-kick from Carpenter to Steele, but he shot wide from eight yards from an acute angle.

Albion doubled their advantage six minutes before the break as Jones made amends for his earlier miss.

The goal was launched by Zamora's impressive industry which gave Oatway the opportunity to cross from the right.

The ball brushed off the head of Rogers for Jones to crack in left-footed from eight yards via the underside of the crossbar.

It doubled Jones' tally for the season following his spectacular opener at Wycombe Wanderers in September.

Wellens collected Blackpool's second caution of the half on 40 minutes for a foul on Jones.

It was a thoroughly satisfactory opening 45 minutes for Peter Taylor's high-flying team.

An up and under by Jones in the early stages of the second half almost embarrassed Barnes. He dropped it before gathering at the second attempt.

Hughes was on in place of O'Kane for Blackpool at the back as Steve McMahon's men went in search of a goal to change the complexion of the contest.

Blackpool's bright start to the second period was rewarded on 55 minutes when Hills' cross from the right wing was headed in from beyond the far post by unmarked substitute Hughes.

Blackpool were suddenly a completely different side as the Seagulls struggled to keep them at bay.

A tactical switch by McMahon from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2 was having the desired effect as his rejuvenated team penned Albion back inside their own territory.

Watson relieved the pressure with a diagonal cross aimed towards Zamora which had to be headed behind for an Albion corner.

With 14 minutes left, the Seagulls introduced Brooker in place of opening goalscorer Steele as they fought to cling on to three more precious promotion points.

There were boos from the Albion fans when Oatway went down injured and Blackpool carried on playing.

Wellens shot over while the Seagulls were at a numerical disadvantage, then Blackpool brought on Simpson for Jaszczun as Oatway rejoined the action after treatment.

Blackpool were awarded a penalty in injury time when Wellens was impeded from a cross by Hughes.

Substitute Simpson's resulting spot kick was pushed on to the post by the diving Royce to keep the Seagulls ahead in dramatic circumstances.

It wasn't to last.

Amazingly, Blackpool still had time to snatch a point with a spectacular right-foot volley by Lee Collins from 25 yards with virtually the last kick of the match, on 90 minutes.