It had to happen sooner or later. I don't mean a Saturday home defeat for Albion, or the first one as manager for Martin Hinshelwood.

The former hadn't occurred for more than two-and-a-half years, the latter for nine if you include Hinsh's fleeting stints in caretaker charge.

Both were overshadowed by the injury to Bobby Zamora. The health or otherwise of Albion's hotshot is of far greater relevance to the well-being of the team this season than a not entirely unexpected result.

Norwich did, after all, come within a couple of penalty kicks of the Premiership four months ago, while the outcome was somewhat strangely predicted on the Seagulls' own official website.

Zamora has managed to stay remarkably injury-free during his time at the club. He has only missed a total of eight League games in the last two triumphant seasons.

Now we wait with bated breath for the outcome of a scan on the right knee he hurt in a block tackle with Norwich defender Darren Kenton.

The early signs on Saturday were not encouraging. Having hobbled off for treatment it was obvious as soon as Zamora came back on that he could not possibly continue.

The feedback from the dressing room at half time referred to possible ligament damage.

It is desperate luck for Hinshelwood a mere three matches into his reign.

Zamora's departure left Albion with a rookie strike force comprising Daniel Marney, making his senior bow in the League, and Shaun Wilkinson on his full debut.

Wilkinson was selected to partner Zamora in a switch to Hinshelwood's favoured 4-4-2 formation after Paul Rogers was ruled out by the stomach bug which sidelined captain Danny Cullip from the opening victory at Burnley.

Losing Zamora was not part of the plan. "It's not ideal to have two youngsters up front at the same time," HInshelwood said.

"The kids have been excellent for me. They had a go and I cannot fault them.

"They gave me everything they had. Shaun Wilkinson in the end was just shattered. It's a learning experience for them, as it is for me, but I have no regrets about putting them in."

Nor should he. Lee Steele left for Oxford long before Hinshelwood took over and he has been hunting tirelessly for a front man to partner Zamora since his appointment.

Former West Ham forward Paul Kitson may prove to be beyond Albion's financial capabilities, but Hinshelwood said: "Before the season started we knew the areas we had to strengthen and we are still working all the time on that.

"Perhaps it might hurry one or two things up now."

The match was similar to the scoreless stalemate Albion fought out with Coventry at Withdean four days earlier.

The Seagulls, both with and without Zamora, struggled to create chances and, hard though they grafted, did not manage a shot on target.

The closest they came to ending a Withdean famine now spanning three games was a diving header high and wide by Charlie Oatway from a Paul Watson corner in-between the goals which had the Canaries chirping.

Equally, Michel Kuipers looked bound for a hat-trick of home clean sheets as Norwich demonstrated a disappointing lack of attacking ambition in the circumstances.

Another 0-0 looked on the cards until the 58th minute. Kuipers produced a stupendous one-handed stop to keep out Iwan Roberts' near post header from a Clint Easton cross.

The gap-toothed Welshman's pint-sized partner Paul McVeigh reacted quickest to nod in from close range, his third goal in as many games following an opening day double for the former Spurs front man against Grimsby.

There was a hint of offside and McVeigh admitted he wasn't sure, although he added: "I thought I was level."

Albion wanted to be, but ten minutes later it was all over, courtesy of a stunning finish from Easton. Phil Mulryne's cross from the right appeared to be too deep and drifting out of play.

Watson certainly thought so. He let it run, only for Easton to connect with a left-foot volley as the ball dropped which sped past Kuipers from an acute angle.

It was the sort of accurate shot which the acting star Easton's name so closely resembles would have been proud of, but it came four months too late for manager Nigel Worthington.

"He had a chance to do it in the first half at Cardiff (against Birmingham in the play-off final) but messed it up," Worthington reflected ruefully while expressing satisfaction with a "very professional performance."

Hinshelwood joked: "I'm going to smack Bob Booker (assistant), because just after half time he said I think Norwich have gone now!

"We had a little spell then where we had a lot of the ball without creating too much. It was a great save by Michel, but at this level you have got to be bright and lively on the second ball. We weren't and that cost us the game."

This slight setback must be put into context. Nobody would have complained if Albion had lost at Burnley and won and drawn home games against Coventry and Norwich to accumulate the four points they have now.

"I think I would rather have taken three and not been beaten," Hinshelwood said.

"These lads don't like losing matches, especially at Withdean where it has been a fortress for us, but we have got to realise at this level we are going to lose games at home."

  • Albion team (4-4-2): Kuipers (gk) 7; Watson (rb) 6, Mayo (lb) 7, Cullip (cd) 7, Hart (rw) 7, Oatway (cm) 7, Brooker (lw) 7, Carpenter (cm) 7, Pethick (cd) 7, Wilkinson (f) 7, Zamora (f) 6. Subs: Marney 6 for Zamora (injured 36), Hammond, A. Hinshelwood, Harding for Wilkinson (withdrawn 79), Petterson.
  • Scorers: McVeigh (58), Easton (68).
  • Bookings: None.
  • Half-time: Albion 0, Norwich 0.
  • FAN'S VIEW: Vernon Cook (Hove) The Burnley victory has been well and truly put into perspective.

We've stepped up a division without two of last season's mainstays. No one can fault the effort or commitment but the harsh reality is that we need another 46 points to stay up.

It's pretty obvious to most fans that we need some fresh faces.

Norwich were well organised but we are going to need to take points from these sort of games.

Dick Knight and the board are going to have to dig deep into their own pockets and give Hinsh a fair crack of the whip.

I still think there are three teams worse than us and we meet one of them next Saturday. Let the Supporters Club boycott if they want, the rest of us need to get up to Selhurst in numbers!