Albion manager Mark McGhee predicted when he signed Colin Kazim-Richards from Bury that the teenage striker would provide some of the highlights of the season.

How right he was. Kazim-Richards earned the Seagulls another excellent away point with a stunning strike from long range with 14 minutes left, shortly after replacing Chris McPhee.

It bettered his previous two goals for the club, both of which were also as a substitute, a solo effort at home to Coventry in September and last month's late equaliser at Sheffield Wednesday.

McGhee's side showed boundless character once more after Sunday's last gasp defeat by arch rivals Crystal Palace at Withdean.

They overcame the losses through injury in the opening 35 minutes of both Jason Dodd, on his first start since the end of August, and the influential Paul McShane.

McPhee, making his first start of the campaign, played his part in a gallant 11th draw in 20 Championship outings which demonstrated again that the Seagulls have the stomach for another relegation fight.

McGhee made three changes to the side, the most unexpected of which was McPhee taking Jake Robinson's place upfront.

McShane returned from his one-match ban at the expense of Adam El-Abd, with Dodd preferred to El-Abd at rightback in place of the suspended Gary Hart.

Cardiff's top scorer Cameron Jerome was back from a one-match ban for the injured Michael Ricketts, while Paul Parry took over from Neal Ardley in midfield.

Jason Koumas gave Cardiff an early lead in their 2-1 win at Withdean last month and he almost staged a repeat in the ninth minute after McShane fouled Alan Lee 25 yards out.

The resulting free-kick from the talented Koumas forced Alan Blayney into a fine, diving save at the foot of his lefthand post.

Koumas, on loan from West Brom, pulls the strings for the Welshmen in midfield. He came perilously close to putting them ahead a few minutes later with a right-foot drive which hit the inside of a post following a lightning quick break by Cardiff from an Albion corner, launched by Jeff Whitley and continued by Jerome.

The disconsolate Dodd's comeback from ankle surgery lasted only 16 minutes before another injury forced him off, El-Abd slotting into his place.

Albion had started the game well enough, inspite of the two efforts by Koumas, and they responded by twice going close to grabbing the lead themselves. Charlie Oatway, not noted for his goalscoring, had a firm drive against his old club held by Cardiff keeper Neil Alexander when McPhee set him up from a cross by Leon Knight.

Knight was desperately unlucky himself in the 24th minute with a fierce attempt from 25 yards which beat Alexander all ends up, only to bounce off the top of the bar.

It was the Seagulls' turn to have a narrow escape in the 26th minute. Jerome beat Blayney to the ball on the edge of the area, leaving the keeper stranded out of his goal as Lee's effort was headed off the line by Paul Reid.

The loss of Dodd was not too disruptive but when McShane also went off injured in the 35th minute, having been hurt in an aerial tussle with Jerome, a major reshuffle was required.

Substitute Alexis Nicolas, normally a central midfielder, filled in on the right side of midfield. Seb Carole switched to the left flank, with fellow Frenchman Alexandre Frutos dropping to leftback, Reid moving across to rightback and El-Abd into the centre of defence alongside Guy Butters.

Considering the disruptions within their ranks, Albion did well to frustrate Cardiff through to the interval.

The Seagulls made a further adjustment for the second half, Nicolas adopting a more familiar role in the middle with Oatway and Dean Hammond, Knight shifting out to the right and McPhee foraging alone up front.

Cardiff made the breakthrough in the 57th minute, just as their supporters were becoming restless.

Koumas, released in behind Carole, crossed low for Lee to turn in his second of the season from point blank range.

Lee's first goal of the campaign won the game for Cardiff at Withdean last month. The former Rotherham striker was a transfer target for Albion in the summer but a £300,000 fee and his £6,000 a week wages were way beyond their pocket.

The Seagulls, showing admirable resolve again in the face of adversity, responded to their deficit by forcing a flurry of corners.

They almost equalised from the first of them, delivered by Carole and helped on by El-Abd before a header from Butters was tipped over by Alexander.

Blayney, back to the form he showed at the end of last season, kept Albion's hopes alive in the 71st minute with a smothering stop when Parry burst through several challenges into the box.

The value of Blayney's save was emphasised when Kazim-Richards levelled in stunning fashion on 76 minutes, just four minutes after coming on for McPhee.

The teenager, fed by Reid, gave Alexander no chance with an explosive low drive from 25 yards which nestled into the bottom corner of the net.

Albion almost went ahead a minute later, Knight finding Carole in space inside the area for a shot which Alexander parried for a corner.

The Seagulls, increasingly threatening on the break, nearly won it with five minutes left, Carole turning his marker inside out from Kazim-Richards crossfield pass to force Alexander into another diving save.

McGhee said: "The changes did cause a big disruption but we coped well with those changes.

"It was unfortunate that we had to put Alexandre Frutos at fullback and that restricted our chances of going forward. We could have won it in the end but I am more than happy with the draw."

Cardiff manager Dave Jones said: "It was a frustrating evening. But it is a credit to us that teams are now coming to Cardiff and shutting up shop."

  • Albion (4-4-2): Blayney 8; Dodd 5, McShane 6, Butters 7, Reid 8; Carole 7, Oatway 7, Hammond 7, Frutos 7; McPhee 7, Knight 7. Subs: Nicolas 6 for McShane (injured 35), El-Abd 7 for Dodd (injured 16), Robinson, Kazim-Richards 7 for McPhee (withdrawn 72), Chaigneau.
  • Cardiff (4-4-2): Alexander; Weston, Purse, Loovens, Barker; Koumas, Ledley, Whitley, Parry; Lee, Jerome. Subs: Cox for Loovens (injured 61), Ardley for Weston (withdrawn 87), Boland, Mulryne, Margetson.
  • Matchfacts
  • - Shots on goal: Albion 7, Cardiff 6.

- Shots off goal: Albion 0, Cardiff 8.

- Corners: Albion 6, Cardiff 8.

- Off-side: Albion 3, Cardiff 4.

- Free-kicks: Albion 9, Cardiff 12.

  • Albion bookings: McShane (12, foul), Oatway (45, foul), Nicolas (66, foul).
  • Cardiff bookings: Weston (19, foul).
  • Albion scorer: Kazim-Richards (76).
  • Cardiff scorer: Lee (57).