Tickets sold out much slower than had previously been the case for this turgid victory.

Plenty are left for tomorrow night's FA Cup replay against Peterborough, although that is because season ticket holders have to pay.

As winter grips, how much longer will the full house signs be going up at Withdean?

Manager Micky Adams moaned again about the lack of atmosphere created by the crowd on Saturday.

He doesn't like Withdean and he has a point. With supporters only on two sides and a long way from the pitch, it doesn't feel much like a football ground.

The playing surface itself, contrary to appearances, isn't the best and Albion are generally made to feel about as welcome as one of Nicholas Hoogstraten's tenants!

But the fans have a point too. And they made theirs by sitting in silence for most of a mundane contest.

It cannot be much fun getting cold and wet in that uncovered South Stand.

For £13 they don't just want to watch their team win, they want to be entertained as well.

If the bore factor at Withdean continues Albion won't need to bother about the extra seats they are planning to put in at the east end.

Suggestion

Adams had a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to improve the atmosphere, which wouldn't go down at all well with the residents. "Maybe we should get a band in here," he said.

The real solution rests with the players, as matchwinner Jamie Campbell readily acknowledged.

"At the end of the day it is down to the players to get the fans going," he said. "We are the ones who have got to excite them."

That was certainly not the case against Hartlepool, except for the first few minutes when Albion threatened a goal feast.

Gary Hart had a header nodded off the line, then should have scored when set up by temporary partner Rod Thomas before Campbell did.

The Hartlepool defence, like the crowd, fell asleep from Warren Aspinall's free-kick. Campbell, completely unmarked at the back post, directed his header too close to Martin Hollund.

The keeper spilled it though, leaving Campbell the simplest of tasks from the rebound.

It was a messy goal to win a messy match, devoid of entertainment for long periods.

Hartlepool, fresh from six wins out of seven, enjoyed a lot of possession for the away team. But they lacked penetration up front, with Gary Jones ruled out by a twisted knee and a concussed Kevin Henderson stretchered off early on.

Mark Walton was only seriously tested once, to keep out a snapshot from free-scoring midfielder Tommy Miller just before half time.

The big Welshman's handling was exemplary behind a resolute defence which helped him to a sixth clean sheet out of nine.

That is encouraging, because at the other end goals are proving hard to come by. Albion have not scored two in a game since the home defeat byChester in mid-September.

Thomas, replacing the suspended Darren Freeman to form surely the shortest strike partnership in the country, looked dangerous at times with Hart in the first half.

But he was substituted midway through the second and the lively Hart was the only player who really looked like adding to Campbell's effort.

He took on the Hartlepool defence single handed before Hollund denied him and had late claims for a penalty rejected by Premiership ref Graham Poll, who did not produce a single card.

Adams admitted the performance was "patchy", but he was relieved to complete consecutive 1-0 home wins. "Hartlepool are the form team of the Division with Rotherham and they are playing with a lot of confidence, so we will take it," he said.

"I'm pleased we kept a clean sheet, but I would have liked a few more goals to ease the pressure.

"I felt if we could get the ball into Rod in dangerous areas he would cause them problems and to a certain degree it worked. When we got quality balls into Harty and Rod they looked quite dangerous.

""Harty is not having the best of luck in front of goal, but I'm sure his time will come."

Perhaps it will be tomorrow night, when the cut and thrust of the FA Cup should make for a better atmosphere against the new Third Division pacesetters Peterborough.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.