Northampton 2, Albion 0: Minute by minute

Veteran goal getter Marco Gabbiadini launched Northampton's move off the foot of the table with a 74th minute break through.

Gabbiadini so often a thorn in the Seagulls' side for his previous club Darlington, scored with a header from a cross by substitute Derek Asamoah which Michel Kuipers clawed onto the bar, only for the ball to eventually rebound in off the Dutchman.

Micky Adams' men, who would have gone top with a win, could have no real complaints about the outcome, which was confirmed when Asamoah raced clear of substitute Robbie Pethick to slot in Northampton's second 3 minutes into stoppage time.

Daryl Burgess also headed against the crossbar for the home side from a free-kick in the 49th minute.

It was a frustrating night for the Seagulls and hotshot Bobby Zamora, who was cautioned along with Danny Cullip and Charlie Oatway.

Albion have now gone six away games without a goal.

Zamora recovered from a groin strain sustained in training to spearhead the Albion attack.

The Seagulls started with the team which finished Monday's 4-0 destruction of Blackpool at Withdean.

Lee Steele's series of supersub performances meant he was preferred to Gary Hart.

Northampton made two changes to the side which suffered a fourth straight League defeat at Oldham on Tuesday.

They welcomed back fit-again former West Brom stopper Burgess and McGregor at the expense of Spedding and Asamoah.

Paul Brooker had a free role in behind Zamora and Steele while Northampton pushed Evatt, on loan from Derby, forward from the centre of defence to the middle of mid field in a 4-4-2 formation.

The home side, evidently pumped up to cause a surprise, began the contest with considerable conviction.

Forrester held the ball up for Hunter to find Hargreaves in space inside the area through the inside left channel.

Fortunately for Albion the shot from the former Plymouth man was weak, giving Kuipers the easiest of saves.

The Seagulls responded with a downward header beyond the far post by Simon Morgan from a Paul Watson corner which Sollitt pushed over his own crossbar.

Gabbiadini was booked in the 11th minute for a late challenge on Jones as the Albion leftback cleared his lines.

Two minutes later Steele instigated a promising move when he got the better of Frain from Watson's pass down the right flank.

Steele then exchanged passes with Brooker before crossing to the far post where Zamora missed-timed his jump and headed tamely wide.

The regularity with which Adams emerged from the dugout to issue instructions suggested he was not especially satisfied with Albion's efforts thus far.

It was proving to be an even encounter, with no obvious evidence of the gulf between the teams in the early league table. Brooker tried to stamp some authority on matters by cutting just inside the box onto his right foot to fire a low drive which the diving Sollitt pushed for a corner.

Cullip had his name taken with 12 minutes of the half remaining for throwing the ball away when he was penalised ten yards inside his own half.

The ensuing free-kick by Frain was advanced ten yards and Hope, who scored both of the Cobblers' goals at Oldham, headed narrowly wide.

Gabbiadini received a final warning from referee Furnandiz after some argy bargy with Watson.

A shot on the turn by Forrester from 15 yards took a deflection off Cullip, but Kuipers adjusted to make the save diving to his left.

Albion launched an instant riposte with Richard Carpenter, fresh from his first goal of the season against Blackpool, drilling straight at Sollitt after Zamora's good approach work.

Albion survived two close calls as Northampton started the second half with the same vigour as they had the first.

First Forrester's square pass picked out the advancing McGregor ten yards out, but he dragged his effort wide of the far post. A couple of minutes later Burgess met McGregor's free-kick with a header at the back post which crashed against the crossbar.

Zamora was harshly booked for diving in the 53rd minute.

He went down under a challenge from Burgess as he tried to connect with Watson's quickly taken free-kick and Albion were hoping for a penalty rather than a yellow card.

Watson was heavily involved in one of the Seagulls' better moves of the match, combining with Steele to test Sollitt with a shot from 20 yards which the scrambling keeper could not hold but eventually grasped after several attempts.

Oatway raised the caution count to 3-2 against Albion for an elbow on McGregor ten yards inside Albion territory.

The game was still nicely poised as it entered the final quarter.

There was hope for Albion when Carpenter's right wing cross to the near post was miscued by Hope, but Zamora's instinctive header lacked the power to bother Sollitt. Northampton made a substitution with 18 minutes left, Asamoah replacing last season's leading marksman Forrester.

The introduction of Asamoah proved an inspired move as the former Slough front man set up a bizarre goal for Gabbiadini two minutes later.

Gabbiadini's header from Asamoah's left wing centre was pushed onto the bar by Kuipers. The ball bounced down, then against the post and in off the big Dutch keeper.

The Seagulls responded to their deficit with two substitutions in the space of a minute, Hart replacing Paul Rogers and Pethick coming on for Jones.

Albion also brought on Geoff Pitcher for Carpenter in the 84th minute in a last ditch bid to rescue their undefeated record.

Asamoah wrapped things up in the 93rd minute when he got the better of Pethick before calmly beating Kuipers.