It could, in the long run, be the difference between staying up and going down.

Mark McGhee pinpointed his team's tendency to relinquish a lead as Albion battled for a draw which keeps them three points clear of Cardiff.

Leon Knight's second goal of the season and another outstanding display by Michel Kuipers looked like earning the Seagulls their second home win of the season until substitute Lee Bullock levelled for Cardiff late on.

It was a repeat of the previous game at Withdean, when Albion also led 1-0 at half-time against Sheffield United but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Last month they led at the break yet were beaten at home by QPR and they were also ahead on the opening day at Reading before losing.

McGhee said: "It's becoming a bit of a pattern that we are not able to finish these games off. We have got to find a way of getting the second goal."

McGhee was nevertheless satisfied with a hard earned share of the spoils as Albion were bolstered by the return of Guy Butters from a five-match absence with a calf injury.

McGhee said: "I think we earned the result. Our first half performance was good, our second half performance was determined and I thought on balance a 1-1 draw was fair for both teams.

"I am disappointed with our home record but I'm not losing sleep over it. It doesn't matter whether we get the points at home or away.

"Withdean is not the same barrier to the opposition at this level as it was in the Second Division. Teams in the Championship are mentally very strong."

After conceding early on at Crewe on Saturday, Albion were quick to get their noses in front this time.

It took Knight only ten minutes to answer McGhee's call for him to rediscover his goal touch.

Last season's leading marksman, fed by Dean Hammond inside the Cardiff area, struck an angled left foot drive which Tony Warner, McGhee's goalkeeper at Millwall, got a hand to but could not keep out.

The ball had already crossed the line when Danny Gabbidon, the visitors' Welsh international centre half, cleared.

It gave Knight his first goal from open play since April, when he scored in the home game against Hartlepool.

Albion almost doubled their lead midway through the first half when an inswinging corner by Darren Currie was headed unconvincingly upwards by Alan Lee, back helping his defence.

Warner, under pressure from Knight, dropped the ball but Adam Virgo blazed over from close range.

Cardiff were impotent until Hammond nearly gifted them an equaliser on the half hour.

The Seagulls' young midfielder gave the ball straight to Lee, who was left clean through. The Cardiff centre forward, scorer of a controversial goal against Albion for Rotherham two seasons ago, wasted the chance by dragging his shot wide of Kuipers' left hand post.

The escape nevertheless spurred the Welshmen into more positive mode as Albion were forced to cope with the loss through injury of the influential Alexis Nicolas, Richard Carpenter taking his place in the middle of the park.

Albion had to defend a flurry of corners before relying on the combined brilliance of Kuipers and Dan Harding to preserve their lead. Joe Ledley thought he had celebrated his full League debut with a goal with a back-header from a free-kick by Gary O'Neil, only for Kuipers to make a diving deflection.

From the resulting corner Ledley was frustrated again as his shot from 20 yards was cleared off the line by Harding.

Albion's England under-21 leftback was in the right place again shortly afterwards to clear O'Neil's shot off the line.

Incredibly, Ledley's luck was out once more on the stroke of half time as his firm header from Jobi McAnuff's right wing cross hit the bar.

Kuipers' heroics continued in the second half. The big Dutchman followed a routine save from a shot by the ubiquitous Ledley with another excellent one-handed stop to foil Peter Thorne after he had been threaded through by O'Neil.

Albion were reduced to playing on the break as Cardiff maintained their domination.

They still offered an occasional threat, the lively Knight swivelling to fire into the side netting from a short free-kick by Currie and Virgo testing Warner with a header from a deflected cross by substitute Albert Jarrett.

Albion's stubborn resistance was finally broken in the 81st minute following an inspired substitution by Cardiff's Brighton-born manager Lenny Lawrence.

Bullock had only been on for six minutes in place of Ledley when he equalised with a looping header over Kuipers from O'Neil's corner.

Albion could have no complaints about Cardiff's right to parity on the balance of play and Virgo now misses the appetising visit to Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Saturday week following his fifth booking in a melee which broke out when angry Cardiff players claimed Knight dived inside the area under a challenge from Tony Vidmar.

Man-of-the-match Kuipers said: "Cardiff were excellent. They gave us a really tough game and at the end of the day 1-1 is a good result for us."

  • ALBION (4-4-2): Kuipers 9; Reid 7, Hinshelwood 7, Butters 7, Harding 8; Nicolas 6, Hammond 7, Oatway 7, Currie 6; Knight 8, Virgo 6. Subs: Carpenter 6 for Nicolas, injured (32), Jarrett 6 for Currie (withdrawn, 62), Mayo, Molango, May
  • Booking: Virgo (83) dissent
  • Scorer: Knight (10)
  • CARDIFF CITY: (4-4-2): Warner; Williams, Gabbidon, Vidmar, Barker; McAnuff, Kavanagh, O'Neil, Ledley; Lee, Thorne. Subs: Campbell for Lee (withdrawn, 65), Bullock for Ledley (withdrawn, 75), Collins, Alexander, Anthony
  • Boookings: McAnuff (55) foul, Gabbidon (69) foul, Barker (83) dissent
  • Scorer: Bullock (81)
  • Half-Time: Albion 1 Cardiff 0
  • Attendance: 6,112
  • Fans' View: JAN MERRITT (Burgess Hill) Although it was disappointing not to hold on to the lead, I think it was a point gained rather than two lost as Cardiff did look the more classy side. Knight looked lively and it was good to see him score in open play. I was sorry to see Nicolas go off injured as he is a great asset.

DAVE BARNES (Peacehaven) I'm getting a bit cheesed off with Albion apparently sitting back and inviting opposition to come at us. Apart from making the visitors look better than they are, it's asking for trouble. We need to take control of the game.

TRUDY GORDON (Portslade) Albion were fortunate not to lose the match. Kuipers had a great game in goal and was deservedly man of the match. We're not creating enough chances.

GREIG McGARVA (Burgess Hill) A hard-working team performance in which Kuipers was excellent and Knight showed glimpses of being back to his best. We defended as a unit and passed the ball around with ease. We lacked the killer touch in front of goal but didn't succumb to Cardiff's bully-boy tactics.