Albion in stalemate

This one was far less lively than the entertaining encounter at Rotherham and comfortably the most lethargic display by the Seagulls under their new manager. But the players can be forgiven for that after a gruelling and emotionally draining week. They still looked the likelier winners in a dull deadlock spoiled by the wind and a difficult pitch. Graeme Atkinson came close to completing an unusual double during an accomplished debut, having scored against Hartlepool on his first appearance for his previous club Preston. Only a post prevented the 26-year-old leftback from repeating the feat with a 30-yard thunderbolt eight minutes before the break. Atkinson, calm in possession, smacked another long range shot narrowly wide and produced two crosses which on another day might have yielded goals for the substituted Andy Ansah. Gary Hobson, Atkinson's great pal from their time together at Hull, spurned Albion's cleanest opening following a second-half corner. Hobson and Ross Johnson were kept on their toes by the hard-working Stephen Halliday, the game's most impressive forward, as the strong and well-organised visitors showed why they have now recorded 18 draws this season. But their failure, like the Seagulls, to deliver a killer final ball meant that Mark Ormerod had only to make routine saves from shots from distance to clinch back-to-back clean sheets. Horton now has a chance to catch breath and impose his tactical thinking on the limited number of players at his disposal before the all-ticket trip to Barnet. Paul Armstrong, who came on to provide a late chance for Paul Linger, gave him a 15th body on Saturday. It was the appearance of another substitute, assistant manager Jeff Wood as a centre forward in the reserves last week, which emphasised the ridiculously thin squad Horton has inherited.

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