Albion proved a point with another hard-earned away draw.

They have not only a team but a squad capable of holding their own in the Championship.

The Seagulls finished, for one reason or another, without five of the players kept together by Mark McGhee during a sequence of adventurous performances which produced the only win so far against Plymouth, draws with Leeds and Coventry and a narrow home defeat by the Championship's runaway leaders Sheffield United.

Dean Hammond and Gary Hart were ruled out before the game by a virus, Richard Carpenter halfway through it by a foot injury. Albert Jarrett and Jake Robinson were also brought off by McGhee early in the second half.

The respective replacements, Charlie Oatway, Kerry Mayo, Colin Kazim-Richards, Alexandre Frutos and Alexis Nicolas, did enough to suggest that at least one and probably more will keep their places at Leicester tomorrow night.

It certainly wasn't as pretty as Albion have been of late. It was, though, pretty effective in maintaining a precious two-point gap between the teams in the congested bottom half of the table.

McGhee said: "It's another of those games against a team who at the moment are below us and to not lose was very important. We also had to make changes, which disrupted us a little.

"I don't think we ever played as well as we had in recent games. We didn't get hold of the ball and pass it anywhere near as well.

"Dean Hammond has been a huge influence in the way we have played. He has made as many passes as anybody.

"Charlie came in for his first game in a while and did a terrific job but he is a different type of player from Dean. We did lose a little bit in terms of fluid play but more important than that is the point."

Albion might have claimed all three but for a dubious penalty, converted by Garreth O'Connor. Mayo, making his first appearance since the second game of the season, was penalised for tugging John McGreal from a corner, nine minutes after Paul McShane had nodded them in front.

"We felt the penalty was hard," McGhee said. "Kerry got involved with the boy but that went on all afternoon and he pulled Kerry before Kerry pulled him. Apart from that we coped fairly well."

That last remark applied, in particular, to McShane and his defensive partner Guy Butters against the physical and powerful pairing of Ade Akinbiyi and Gifton Noel-Williams.

Combined they scored a total of four goals against Albion for their current and previous employers, Stoke, last season. For all the stoic efforts of the Seagulls' twin centre halves it still required four fine saves from Wayne Henderson to prevent Akinbiyi adding to the seven goals he already has this time around.

McShane, scandalously unmarked, interrupted his defensive duties to head Albion into the lead from a short corner by Knight and cross from the again outstanding Sebastien Carole.

The second senior goal of the young Irishman's promising career, following one on his debut on loan to Walsall last season, was smartly worked from Albion's point of view.

Burnley boss Steve Cotterill must, however, have been livid. There is plenty of height throughout his team, while the Seagulls must have the smallest side in the Championship, a statement given more validity by the Oatway for Hammond swap.

Limited though the hosts were, they did not deserve to lose. Albion's recent habit of chance-creating deserted them. The closest they came to a winner was a 25-yard free-kick just wide from Carole with 15 minutes left, although Kazim-Richards' second-half contribution could give him the nod over Robinson tomorrow night.

"I thought Seb was terrific again and Colin did a really good job when he came on," McGhee said. "The general performance was ordinary in comparison to some of the recent performances but it was a really good point.

"Hopefully it will give the squad confidence in each other. Charlie and Kerry have been desperate to come back in and they've been part of a successful day.

"The boys (Hammond and Hart) will probably be well by Tuesday but, if they are not, we know we can go out with the team that finished and have a chance at Leicester."

The table, ten games in, is beginning to take shape. Nine teams at the bottom, headed by Leicester, are divided by just three points.

Albion's away form is sound. Their only defeat was at Hull, they drew 0-0 at Preston and they have also now managed score draws at Derby, Leeds and Burnley, all be it that they were leading in all three.

Home reverses at the hands of Sheffield United and Reading, the teams stealing a march on the rest at the top, were no disgrace. The draws which have not really been good enough were at Withdean against Crewe, when they were again in front, and Coventry.

Four points, or even three, is what Albion could do with now at Leicester and at home to Norwich, who surprisingly continue to struggle, before the international break.

Injuries and illness will continue to play a part. So too will suspensions as the season progresses (McShane is a couple of bookings away from a ban).

At least Albion know they have enough in reserve to not necessarily perform like the first choice eleven but to grind out results.

  • Albion (4-4-2): Henderson 9; Reid 7, McShane 8, Butters 7, Mayo 7; Carole 8, Carpenter 6, Oatway 7, Jarrett 6; Robinson 6, Knight 7. Subs: Kazim-Richards 7 for Carpenter (injured 46), Frutos 6 for Jarrett (withdrawn 51), Nicolas 6 for Robinson (withdrawn 55), Blayney, Elphick.
  • Burnley (4-4-2): Coyne; Duff, Lowe, McGreal, Harley; J. O'Connor, Hyde, G. O'Connor, Branch; Akinbiyi, Noel-Williams. Subs: Jensen for Coyne (injured 13), Spicer for Branch (withdrawn 68), Sinclair for McGreal (injured 77), Elliott, Bermingham.
  • Matchfacts
  • - Shots on goal: Albion 2, Burnley 6.

- Shots off goal: Albion 3, Burnley 10.

- Corners: Albion 4, Burnley 7.

- Offside: Albion 3, Burnley 4.

- Free-kicks: Albion 8, Burnley 8.

  • Albion bookings: None
  • Burnley booking: Branch (24) foul
  • Albion scorer: McShane (25)
  • Burnley scorer: G O'Connor (34) penalty.