Albion are clinging onto a sporting chance of saving themselves from an instant return to the Second Division.

If Micky Adams was still in charge, instead of leading Leicester to the Premiership, he would undoubtedly be urging players and fans alike to 'Keep The Faith'.

That is the way it should be, because all is by no means lost, unless the Seagulls lose today!

A quadrupled safety deficit is surely what most people realistically anticipated ahead of the Easter weekend.

How many truly thought Albion would get a result at the Walkers Stadium? How many expected Wimbledon, mid-table and injury-ravaged, to trip Stoke up?

A hat-trick of victories is not beyond Albion in their remaining matches which, due to their superior goal difference, would require Stoke to win two of theirs.

That would be a tough ask away to Coventry today, at Crystal Palace on Saturday and at home to Reading.

Stoke, after all, share the worst away record with the Seagulls' opponents today Sheffield Wednesday.

Indeed, Steve Coppell may even be right in thinking a maximum haul is not necessarily a must. Two wins and a draw could just be good enough.

It is, of course, a tall task but not insurmountable after an encouraging display against Adams' powerful side, especially in the first half.

Coppell said: "There were an awful lot of good things from it. After the first 45 minutes I couldn't believe the score.

"We were superb in the first half and the players were just shellshocked at half time. Leicester had sporadic attacks at best and scored two.

"It was a question in the second half of not getting ragged. It sounds stupid, given our situation, but I was really pleased with the way we acquitted ourselves over 90 minutes against the potential champions.

"From my point of view the level of performance was not one of a team in a relegation position."

Albion enjoyed purple patches prior to both of Leicester's promotion-clinching goals, although as it turned out Sheffield United's defeat at Preston meant they would have gone up anyway.

Paul Brooker could have opened the scoring with a shot which Ian Walker was well positioned to block, Paul Watson almost equalised with a fierce drive acrobatically pushed over by the ex-England and Spurs custodian.

Walker was much busier than Dave Beasant, but Albion were undone by two goals brutally simple in their execution.

In the tenth minute Muzzy Izzet, darting towards the near post, met Paul Dickov's penetrative cross with a diving header which slanted past Beasant.

The killer blow came a minute from the break. The unmarked Jordan Stewart, an energetic prospect, thundered a header into the roof of the net from Leicester's only corner of the contest.

It was delivered with precision by the incapacitated Izzet, who had seven stitches in a knee wound during the interval.

Albion conceded in similar fashion against Preston at Withdean the week before, but the Foxes are very difficult to stop in such situations.

Coppell, tipping them for the title, said: "The one thing we knew before the game is that Leicester are the champions of set pieces in this division.

"If it wasn't for set pieces and headed goals they probably wouldn't get beyond double figures, but you have got to respect what they have got.

"They are a big, strong, powerful side. We didn't cope with one cross and one set piece and we paid for it, like many teams have this season.

"It happens when you have got six players running in at full speed. You can't guarantee everyone is going to be picked up.

"It's like a boat race when one crew is a stone a man lighter. It's not often the lighter team win. We were probably three or four inches a man smaller."

Adams soaked in champagne and then water by Leicester's madcap match day announcer Alan Birchenall as he addressed the press, admitted: "I was delighted to go in 2-0 up, because we didn't deserve to be.

"I didn't expect them to roll over and die. They have got some strong characters in that dressing room.

"I am not really an emotional man, but I was quite emotional out there. After everything that has been thrown at us this season I can't praise the players enough.

"I left Brighton to become a Premiership manager. It didn't quite work, but at least I'm back there."

The future of Adams, linked with another of his old clubs Leeds, hinges on how much money is made available to him to strengthen the team.

The home fans shouted "Bobby for Leicester" when Zamora was among three substitutions Coppell made in eight minutes deep into the second half to preserve energy as much as trying to retrieve a result.

The fear for Seagulls supporters is that the teams will be two divisions apart and Zamora on the opposite side when they meet again in a pre-season friendly at Withdean in August.

  • ALBION (3-4-1-2): Beasant (gk) 7; Watson (rwb) 7, Mayo (lwb) 7, Cullip (cd) 7, Blackwell (cd) 7, Hart (f) 8, Brooker (m) 7, Carpenter (m) 7, Ingimarsson (cd) 7, Zamora (f) 7, Rodger (m) 7. Subs: Oatway for Brooker (withdrawn 73), Jones for Blackwell (withdrawn 69), Packham, Kitson, Barrett for Zamora (withdrawn 77). BOOKINGS: Ingimarsson (45) foul, Hart (60) foul, Carpenter (85) foul.
  • LEICESTER (4-4-2): Walker; Sinclair, Elliott, Taggart, Davidson, Stewart, Izzet, Rogers, Dickov, Benjamin, Scowcroft. Subs: Deane for Dickov (withdrawn 79), Impey for Rogers (withdrawn 81), Heath, Wright for Benjamin (withdrawn 79), Summerbee.
  • SCORERS: Izzet (10), Stewart (44).
  • BOOKINGS: Izzet (32) foul.
  • Referee: M. Ryan (Lancashire).
  • Venue: Walkers Stadium.
  • Attendance: 31,909.
  • Pitch conditions: Very good.
  • Weather: Grey, cold and blustery.