Albion edged their way through to round two of the FA Cup – but they made horribly hard work of it.

Gus Poyet’s League One table toppers seemed to have the tie at their mercy when Matt Sparrow put them ahead in the second half.

But they were pegged back by a spirited Woking. The Blue Square Bet south club even had the audacity to get their noses in front in the first period of extra time before Elliott Bennett swiftly put the Seagulls back on terms.

Poyet’s assistant, Mauricio Taricco was sent off for two bookable offences, marring his comeback to English football after a six-year absence.

Albion had to play the second period of extra time with ten men before Woking’s benevolence in the penalty shoot-out secured their passage, 3-0 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Ola Sogbanmu, scorer of their second goal, struck a post in the shoot-out, fellow substitute Craig Faulconbridge blazed over and Elvis Hammond's spot-kick was comfortably saved by Peter Brezovan.

Agustin Battipiedi also hit the bar with his attempt for Albion but Glenn Murray, Sparrow and finally Cristian Baz all safely converted to book a home tie against FC United of Manchester on November 27.

Although Poyet made a number of changes again, he fielded a stronger team than for the 0-0 draw in the first game at Withdean.

Skipper Gordon Greer, Bennett and Radostin Kishishev were rested on that occasion but they were all in the starting line-up this time.

The eye-catching selection though was a first appearance in English football since 2004 for Poyet’s 37-year-old Argentinian assistant Mauricio Taricco. He slotted into the left-back role he occupied for Spurs, Ipswich and West Ham, enabling Poyet to give the previously ever-present Marcus Painter a break.

Woking lined up exactly as they did in the first game, which was precisely what Poyet anticipated, packing the midfield and leaving experienced former Leicester and Fulham striker Elvis Hammond to forage in isolation.

Albion escaped in the tenth minute when Hammond drove low across the face of goal and Jerome Federico fired over from close range at the far post.

Slack play by Greer gifted Hammond another shooting chance for the underdogs but his effort was deflected for a corner.

Albion continued to press and probe in the quest for a breakthrough without manufacturing much by way of clean openings.

Gary Hart could have done better with a couple of headers wide of the target, both of them from crosses by Taricco, and Kishishev was also wide of the mark with a volley after exchanging passes with Matt Sparrow.

Sparrow was similarly inaccurate when released inside the Woking box by a chip from Inigo Calderon.

The former Scunthorpe midfielder had a much better effort five minutes before the break. His low shot was well held by Andrew Little, the Woking goalkeeper.

Arguably Albion’s best chance of the opening 45 minutes went begging right on the stroke of half time. Hart, with his back to goal, was unable to hook in a header down at the far post from Ashley Barnes.

The pattern remained the same after the break. Albion dominated possession but could not find a killer instinct in the final third. Barnes, guilty of a bad miss at Hartlepool when the game was goalless, repeated the flaw six minutes into the restart.

That took Albion’s attempts off target into double figures but Barnes made amends as Albion finally fashioned the goal their territorial supremacy demanded. He headed down a cross from Taricco for Sparrow to calmly convert his fourth of the season, all of them away from home.

The Seagulls now had a platform to make their extra quality count and Poyet an opportunity to make changes, with an eye towards Saturday’s home game against Bristol Rovers.

Barnes’ contribution to the goal was his last. He was withdrawn together with Kishishev, Glenn Murray and Agustin Battipiedi taking their places.

The lead was still too slight for comfort, even though Woking had not threatened for sometime.

Sure enough, out of the blue, Albion were pegged back 17 minutes from time. A Woking foot seemed to get the last touch from Hammond’s run and low cross but Greer was credited with an own goal.

The Seagulls were temporarily shaken by Woking’s unexpected restoration of parity before re-asserting a degree of authoriy.

Sparrow should have averted the need for extra time when he lifted Murray’s header down from a Bennett free-kick over the bar.

Albion could have paid a heavy price shortly afterwards, Hammond wasting a glorious chance to snatch victory in normal time for Woking by sidefooting wide at the near post from an Aswad Thomas cross.

There was no such reprieve towards the end of the first period of extra time. The sizeable Ola Sogbanmu rose unmarked to head in a corner from fellow substitute Charles Turnbull.

Albion needed a rapid response, which Bennett provided with a low shot from Murray’s lay-back to level the scores.

There was a further extraordinary twist at the end of the first period. Referee Roger East booked a dumbfounded Dicker for taking a free-kick from the wrong place, then, in the same incident, showed another yellow card to the already cautioned Taricco for his protest.

East allowed play to continue, with Taricco still on the pitch, before eventually realising his mistake and showing Poyet’s No. 2 a red card – a sad end to his comeback.

Sparrow almost won it for the ten men in the second extra period with a shot which deflected inches wide.

Woking’s generosity in the shoot-out spared Albion's blushes.

Albion (4-1-2-1-2): Brezovan; Calderon, Elphick, Greer, Taricco ; Kishishev (Battipiedi, 57), Sparrow, Dicker; Bennett; Hart (Baz, 96), Barnes (Murray, 57). Subs not used: El-Abd, Poke, Painter, Smith.

Scorers: Sparrow (57), Bennett (104).

Yellow cards: Dicker (105, unsporting behaviour).

Red cards: Taricco (79, foul and (105) dissent.

Woking (4-5-1): Little; Anane, McNerney, Doyle, Thomas; Ademola (Faulconbridge, 89), Maledon, Ricketts, Quarm (Turnbull, 73), Federico (Sogbanmu, 55); Hammond. Subs not used: Gilroy, Sintim, Pegler, Palmer.

Scorers: Greer (73), own goal, Sogbanmu (102).

Yellow cards: Thomas (51) kicking the ball away, Quarm (55) unsporting behavour, Doyle (99), foul.

Red cards: None.

Referee: Mr Roger East (Wiltshire).

Attendance: 4,193 (785 Albion).