Rotherham 1, Albion 0
It is just as well there are some poor sides in the Championship this season.
At least three that are poorer than Albion.
Because right now they look incapable of hauling themselves over the safety line.
They seem more likely to limp across it due to the shortcomings of others following a second successive 1-0 defeat since the international break.
Rotherham narrowed the gap between the teams to two points with a precious win.
Blackpool are relegated and penultimate hosts Wigan remain ten points adrift of Albion with only five games left after losing at home to Derby.
That leaves Millwall, nine points behind the Seagulls with a game in hand.
Fortunately their run-in is almost as difficult, with visits to come from Watford and Derby and a final day trip to Wolves.
Albion's is even tougher, that trip to Wigan and next week's home game against Huddersfield offering respite from Friday's arrival of restored leaders Bournemouth, a last home game against Watford and a closing fixture at Middlesbrough.
It is hard to see a team currently conceding soft goals and continuing to struggle to score themselves gathering many points from the promotion candidates.
Albion have lost some of their attacking spark at home since Sam Baldock was injured and ruled out for the rest of the season during the win against Derby at the Amex early last month.
Even with Baldock they were struggling to find a way through on their travels.
There was no change in this respect at the New York Stadium. You could fly to New York and back in the time that has elapsed since an Albion player scored an away goal in the Championship in open play.
You have to go all the way back to the closing game of 2014 for that and Solly March's late clincher at Fulham.
That is a truly staggering drought of 13 hours and 33 minutes since Albion breached a league opponent on their own patch from a method other than a corner, free-kick, penalty or own goal.
They only seriously threatened to end the statistic once, when Beram Kayal burst clear in a much-improved second half.
The technically gifted Israeli's touch, for once, let him down, just enough for keeper Emi Martinez to make a smothering stop and for his defenders to block the resulting danger.
Chris Hughton was unjustly criticised by some supporters for starting without natural width on Good Friday at home to Norwich, bearing in mind his former club were crammed with narrow midfielders.
The same accusation could not be levelled at his horses for courses approach in sunny South Yorkshire.
He started with two natural wingers, giving injury-plagued Middlesbrough loanee Mustapha Carayol his first appearance for 13 months initially on the right, with Kazenga LuaLua on the left.
Indeed, Hughton tried just about every plausible tactical adjustment imagineable to fashion a second half equaliser.
Leon Best replaced Chris O'Grady as the lone central striker, Kayal was pushed further forward to support him.
The wingers switched flanks and, in the last quarter-of-an-hour, were replaced by Craig Mackail-Smith and Joao Teixeira.
It was all to no avail, although before they departed LuaLua ought to have at least hit the target with a volley when well-placed, Carayol likewise with a shot on the turn.
Albion's second half pressure deserved a point on the balance of play but they paid the price for a poor first half display and Rotherham made a lot more of the few openings they had.
The goal that won it for them, after only eight minutes, was as bad defensively for Albion as the one they conceded against Norwich.
Lewis Dunk should have done more to stop the muscular Jordan Bowery's cross from the righthand touchline and Matt Derbyshire got across Greg Halford to guide a near-post volley well out of David Stockdale's reach into the opposite corner.
Hughton said: "It was too comfortable to score. The lad crossed it from a really tight angle and we have got to do better initially to stop the cross.
"We have got to be brighter and expect runs in the box and that was an early warning for us. We weren't good enough in the first half. In the second half we were a lot better and I felt we could get a result but our work in the final third has got to be more productive in terms of clearcut chances and goal opportunities."
It was always going to be difficult once Albion had given Rotherham, defeated in their previous four games, a leg-up.
They are limited in terms of ability but the players and their raucous supporters gave their equally raucous former Crawley manager Steve Evans everything in the quest to avoid an immediate return to League One.
Their nerves would have been eased if Bowery had made more of a close range header in the first half and captain Paul Green of a clear sight of goal.
David Stockdale, borrowed by Rotherham once upon a time, kept Albion in contention with a fine, left-handed stop to deny Derbyshire deep into the second half and sub Danny Ward rolled his effort just wide in the closing stages before the final whistle was greeted in a manner suggesting survival had been sealed.
It has not been yet for either side but Rotherham, in contrast to Albion, must have anticipated a struggle following promotion via the play-offs.
Hughton can only work with the hand he has been dealt before a much-needed major overhaul in the summer. He is lacking aces and characters.
He described the first half performance, bereft of quality in possession and good decision-making rather than any absence of desire, as a "low for us" and the result a "backward step".
There may be one or two more retreats before Albion are in a position to say, with mathematical certainty, they will be playing Championship football next season and the rebuilding process can begin.
Original article
It is just as well there are some poor sides in the Championship this season.
At least three that are poorer than Albion.
Because right now they look incapable of hauling themselves over the safety line.
They seem more likely to limp across it due to the shortcomings of others following a second successive 1-0 defeat since the international break.
Rotherham narrowed the gap between the teams to two points with a precious win.
Blackpool are relegated and penultimate hosts Wigan remain ten points adrift of Albion with only five games left after losing at home to Derby.
That leaves Millwall, nine points behind the Seagulls with a game in hand.
Fortunately their run-in is almost as difficult, with visits to come from Watford and Derby and a final day trip to Wolves.
Albion's is even tougher, that trip to Wigan and next week's home game against Huddersfield offering respite from Friday's arrival of restored leaders Bournemouth, a last home game against Watford and a closing fixture at Middlesbrough.
It is hard to see a team currently conceding soft goals and continuing to struggle to score themselves gathering many points from the promotion candidates.
Albion have lost some of their attacking spark at home since Sam Baldock was injured and ruled out for the rest of the season during the win against Derby at the Amex early last month.
Even with Baldock they were struggling to find a way through on their travels.
There was no change in this respect at the New York Stadium. You could fly to New York and back in the time that has elapsed since an Albion player scored an away goal in the Championship in open play.
You have to go all the way back to the closing game of 2014 for that and Solly March's late clincher at Fulham.
That is a truly staggering drought of 13 hours and 33 minutes since Albion breached a league opponent on their own patch from a method other than a corner, free-kick, penalty or own goal.
They only seriously threatened to end the statistic once, when Beram Kayal burst clear in a much-improved second half.
The technically gifted Israeli's touch, for once, let him down, just enough for keeper Emi Martinez to make a smothering stop and for his defenders to block the resulting danger.
Chris Hughton was unjustly criticised by some supporters for starting without natural width on Good Friday at home to Norwich, bearing in mind his former club were crammed with narrow midfielders.
The same accusation could not be levelled at his horses for courses approach in sunny South Yorkshire.
He started with two natural wingers, giving injury-plagued Middlesbrough loanee Mustapha Carayol his first appearance for 13 months initially on the right, with Kazenga LuaLua on the left.
Indeed, Hughton tried just about every plausible tactical adjustment imagineable to fashion a second half equaliser.
Leon Best replaced Chris O'Grady as the lone central striker, Kayal was pushed further forward to support him.
The wingers switched flanks and, in the last quarter-of-an-hour, were replaced by Craig Mackail-Smith and Joao Teixeira.
It was all to no avail, although before they departed LuaLua ought to have at least hit the target with a volley when well-placed, Carayol likewise with a shot on the turn.
Albion's second half pressure deserved a point on the balance of play but they paid the price for a poor first half display and Rotherham made a lot more of the few openings they had.
The goal that won it for them, after only eight minutes, was as bad defensively for Albion as the one they conceded against Norwich.
Lewis Dunk should have done more to stop the muscular Jordan Bowery's cross from the righthand touchline and Matt Derbyshire got across Greg Halford to guide a near-post volley well out of David Stockdale's reach into the opposite corner.
Hughton said: "It was too comfortable to score. The lad crossed it from a really tight angle and we have got to do better initially to stop the cross.
"We have got to be brighter and expect runs in the box and that was an early warning for us. We weren't good enough in the first half. In the second half we were a lot better and I felt we could get a result but our work in the final third has got to be more productive in terms of clearcut chances and goal opportunities."
It was always going to be difficult once Albion had given Rotherham, defeated in their previous four games, a leg-up.
They are limited in terms of ability but the players and their raucous supporters gave their equally raucous former Crawley manager Steve Evans everything in the quest to avoid an immediate return to League One.
Their nerves would have been eased if Bowery had made more of a close range header in the first half and captain Paul Green of a clear sight of goal.
David Stockdale, borrowed by Rotherham once upon a time, kept Albion in contention with a fine, left-handed stop to deny Derbyshire deep into the second half and sub Danny Ward rolled his effort just wide in the closing stages before the final whistle was greeted in a manner suggesting survival had been sealed.
It has not been yet for either side but Rotherham, in contrast to Albion, must have anticipated a struggle following promotion via the play-offs.
Hughton can only work with the hand he has been dealt before a much-needed major overhaul in the summer. He is lacking aces and characters.
He described the first half performance, bereft of quality in possession and good decision-making rather than any absence of desire, as a "low for us" and the result a "backward step".
There may be one or two more retreats before Albion are in a position to say, with mathematical certainty, they will be playing Championship football next season and the rebuilding process can begin.
Original article