A second-half Conor Hider hat-trick sealed a 4-3 home win for Albion under-18s against Colchester United on Saturday.
Albion began the game brightly at the University of Sussex, but it was the U's who took the lead in the first half, with a back-post header, against the run of play.
The Seagulls hit back on the brink of half time after Shamir Goodwin chased down the Colchester keeper. The ball rebounded to Conor Hider, who gifted Leon Redwood the chance to roll the ball into an empty net.
Two Hider goals in quick succession after half time put the Seagulls ahead; the first set up by Danny Bolwell, who overlapped down the left wing before cutting the ball back for the Albion striker to score from seven yards out into the bottom right corner.
Albion's third arrived minutes later from a Doug Tuck corner. The near-post delivery was not dealt with by the U's defence and Hider volleyed the ball home left-footed inside the six-yard box.
Hider then sealed his hat-trick in the 80th minute with the pick of the bunch, latching onto a through ball from midfield, before drilling the ball inside the right post from the edge of the 18-yard box.
There was still time for the Essex outfit to set up a tantalising final five minutes, as Colchester pulled back two goals within a minute, but Albion held on to pick up their first win of the campaign.
Under-18s boss Steve Brown told seagulls.co.uk, "I was delighted with the way we moved the ball going forward, and we continued to create chances throughout the game.
"Scoring four goals is always a positive but we switched off defensively towards the end and let Colchester back into the game, when we should have been looking to push on and get five or six goals.
"At 4-3 it set up a nerve-racking final few minutes, so we still have a few issues to iron out on the training ground this week.
"But, we had four 16-year-olds involved in the game on Saturday, who all did well, and that shows we have got quality coming through the youth ranks."
Albion: (4-4-2) Godfrey; MacFarlane, Rae, Sherriff, Bolwell; Cumming-Bart (Shonk 70), Tuck (Levy 60), Hayward, Redwood; Hider (Gray 80), Goodwin. Subs not used: James (GK), Cooper.
