For whom the Bell tolls? Does Lee Bell's freak equaliser herald the beginning of the end for Albion in the Championship?

Manager Mark McGhee, putting a brave face on a fifth successive defeat, made a pretty convincing case for the defence.

Still 30 points to play for, with the fight to stay up now down to four teams and the Seagulls still have to play two of them, at Millwall on April Fool's Day, then Sheffield Wednesday at home on Easter Monday.

McGhee said: "We have to do better than we did in the second half but it's still entirely feasible that we could win enough games, including those two, to keep us up.

"As I said before we came here, nothing's changed. The other teams around about us lost. Derby are probably scraping their way out of it now, so we have got to ask questions of ourselves. Are we up for a fight? I think we are."

Stirring stuff and, absurd as it seems, survival is actually nearer than it was at three o'clock on Saturday, two goals nearer courtesy of Sheffield Wednesday's 3-0 setback at Southampton.

But now for the prosecution. Albion managed to lose to a team that had not tasted victory for 16 games.

They even had the luxury of leading away from home for the first time since that memorable leap by the suspended Paul McShane secured the most satisfying win of the campaign at Crystal Palace in mid-October.

Safety becomes increasingly implausible with every passing defeat and tough assignments are looming next month, at Plymouth and QPR and against Preston and Luton at Withdean.

Any right-minded jury would logically reach a majority verdict of guilty at this stage.

The guilt on this occasion was Albion's response, or rather lack of it, to being pegged back. Stephen Foster's winner was the product of scandalous defending, a free header from a corner.

It was only during a late rally that the Seagulls suggested an equaliser was possible. Bell's goal looked like one kick in the teeth too many.

That, as McGhee hinted, is arguably the biggest challenge facing him now - keeping the players believing.

Asked how psychologically damaging this defeat is, McGhee said: "There is a danger it could be but we can't allow it to be. That's where I have got to do my job probably as well as I have done it at any time."

It all started so well. In the 11th minute Joe Gatting, latching onto Adam Hinshelwood's throw, crossed from tight to the byline. Crewe keeper Ross Turnbull, on loan from Middlesbrough, could only help the ball on its way and Colin Kazim-Richards nodded in from virtually on the line at the far post.

It is hard to imagine an easier way to win a free holiday to Italy for your parents, courtesy of club sponsors Donatello, for netting Albion's 5,000th League goal.

More importantly perhaps for Kazim-Richards, it was the first time he has scored when starting. All five of his previous goals had come from the bench. No longer just supersub then.

Albion's lead, if slightly flattering, looked relatively comfortable. For an hour the match served as a reminder of that must-win last away game last season at Rotherham, when they just did enough.

The script changed with Bell's equaliser in the 58th minute. A terrible cross, meant for Gareth Taylor, from 35 yards out on the right flank turned into a wind-assisted shot which sailed over the helpless Wayne Henderson into the far top corner of the net.

Chris Eagles' outrageous winner from distance for Watford at Withdean a week earlier had been deliberate, both Bell and his manager Dario Gradi readily admitted afterwards this one was not.

Albion were stunned, so much so that seven minutes later Foster got first run on Adam El-Abd to head in Kenny Lunt's corner unchallenged from eight yards.

The Seagulls' performance was not without some individual merit. Kazim-Richards, who twice came close to restoring parity towards the end, is beginning to get the hang of things.

His young partner Joe Gatting played the role of hold-up centre forward with promise again. Another teenager, Joel Lynch, was flawless on his return from injury at leftback, likewise Adam Hinshelwood in the centre on only his second appearance in 11 months and Kerry Mayo may just have more of a future as a midfielder.

On the other hand, the English winter is taking its toll on the French wingers. Alex Frutos was replaced at the start of the second half by the rested Dean Hammond and Seb Carole, his training restricted by ankle trouble, only came on for the last 20 minutes.

The table would look so much more encouraging today had Albion protected Kazim-Richards' landmark-reacher, or at least a point.

McGhee said: "I thought we were a little bit fortunate to be 1-0 up but, having nicked a lead, I hoped we could build on that.

"The first goal was a bit of a freak, a cross. It happens but we didn't dig in as well as I hoped and get as much out of the game in terms of play and territory after the first goal.

"To concede the second goal from a corner was really disappointing." Case closed.

  • Albion (4-4-2): Henderson 7; El-Abd 6, Hinshelwood 7, Butters 6, Lynch 7; Hart 6, Carpenter 7, Mayo 7, Frutos 6; Kazim-Richards 8, Gatting 7. Subs: Hammond 6 for Frutos (withdrawn 50), Carole for Hart (withdrawn 70), McPhee for Gatting (withdrawn 89), Nicolas, Martin.
  • Crewe (4-3-3): Turnbull; Otsemobor, Foster, Bougherra, Tonkin; Bell, Lunt, Grant; S. Jones, Taylor, Varney. Subs: Higdon for Varney (withdrawn 71), O'Connor for Taylor (withdrawn 90), Tomlinson, Walker, McCready.
  • Matchfacts
  • - Shots on goal: Albion 6 Crewe 5 - Shots off goal: Albion 4 Crewe 3 - Corners: Albion 4 Crewe 7 - Off-side: Albion 1 Crewe 0 - Free-kicks; Albion 10 Crewe 21
  • Albion booking: Hart (40) foul
  • Crewe booking: None
  • Albion scorer: Kazim-Richards (11)
  • Crewe scorers: Bell (58), Foster (65)