Albion extended their unbeaten run to nine games in a poor match.

The lacklustre Seagulls rarely looked like grabbing the victory they really needed against lowly Exeter to strengthen their play-off challenge.

Micky Adams' men only perked up once Martin Ling was brought on in the second half against his first club.

A sun-bathed crowd of 3,426 at St James Park, including 1,500 Albion fans, endured a dire first half.

The Seagulls were fortunate to escape early on when Mark Walton failed to hold a corner and Jon Gittens volleyed the loose ball against the bar.

Albion were anonymous as an attacking force in the opening 45 minutes. That changed, though, once Ling replaced Scott Ramsay, just as he had the week before against Swansea.

Paul Brooker fired over a good chance with 20 minutes left when Ling laid a cross from Darren Freeman into his path.

The Seagulls poured forward from then on in a frantic effort to secure their seventh victory out of nine. Adams made a double substitution on 81 minutes, taking off top scorer Freeman and skipper Paul Rogers and bringing on Warren Aspinall and youngster Chris McPhee.

They forced a stream of corners and Charlie Oatway almost snatched the goal they craved with a 25-yard volley which was pushed for a corner by the diving Jason Matthews.

Exeter, still not safe from relegation, have now won only one of their last seven matches, but they will be happier with a point than Albion.

The Seagulls have an awful lot to do in the remaining five games, starting with next Saturday's showdown against promotion-bound Rotherham at Withdean.

Micky Adams' men stand 12th in the table, six points off the play-off zone after seventh-placed Barnet grabbed a late equaliser at home to lowly Shrewsbury.

Meanwhile, Albion have invited prolific Horsham YMCA striker Matt Russell to train with them for a week.

For lots more on Albion, see this weekend's Sports Argus.

Remember you can follow Albion's fortunes every day in the Evening Argus.

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