By Will Jago, at the Amex

Will Buckley was yet again the goal hero as Albion beat Leicester City 1-0 at the Amex, keeping the side within two points of the play-off positions.

The 22-year-old scored his seventh goal of the season in the 90th minute while an action-packed second half saw the visitors reduced to nine men and Albion down to ten; Matt Sparrow seeing a straight red for a mis-timed tackle.

The visitors enjoyed the better of the early possession and Lewis Dunk had to be alert to prevent the Foxes from taking an early lead.

Lee Peltier stood up a cross at the back post and in-form striker Jermaine Beckford for ready to pounce but Dunk brilliantly glanced a header beyond him and to safety.

Moments later Peter Brezovan showed a safe pair of hands to cling on to Paul Konchesky's stinging free-kick, diving low to his right.

But as the half wore on the Seagulls stamped their authority on the game, and the players and supporters alike thought that they had taken the lead.

Liam Bridcutt was patient as ever in his build-up play and threaded a ball through to Ashley Barnes 12 yards out. The Albion striker calmly slotted the ball past Kasper Schmeichel but his goal was chalked off when linesman Michael Ball flagged him offside.

Sparrow had the chance of the half on the half-hour mark when he broke from midfield and latched onto a Craig Mackail-Smith through-ball, but his touch was too heavy and the Danish stopper was off his line quickly to smother the danger.

Moments later Barnes showed good awareness to head Calderon's deep cross back across the six-yard box but Mackail-Smith couldn't quite make up the ground to provide the vital finishing touch.

At the other end, former Premier League striker David Nugent met Neil Danns's corner with a timely header which shaved the outside of Brezovan's left post.

The Seagulls were firmly in the ascendancy and Leicester did not do themselves any favours in the early stages of the second half when Beckford was dismissed for an incident with Dunk.

The Albion defender went down under the challenge of the former Everton man but linesman Bull and referee Andy Woolmer saw nothing untoward with the incident. But when Beckford walked past Dunk - on the ground - he appeared to lash out which prompted Bull to flag and call for Beckford's dismissal.

Within minutes Gus Poyet reacted by introducing Sam Vokes for his Amex debut and Joe Mattock for his Albion debut - which sparked a round of boos from the supporters of the club he departed over two years ago - while Vicente came on for his first appearance since October.

With 20 minutes remaining came a trademark Buckley break down the right in search of the opener. He fired a fierce strike from 12 yards out which Schemichel beat away and unfortunately for the home side the rebound ricocheted off his knee and into the crowd.

But with five minutes remaining the numbers were level again when Sparrow was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Foxes new boy Ben Marshall, right in front of Woolmer.

The game looked to be heading for a stalemate, but in the 90th minute the deadlock was broken and yet again it was Buckley who got the goal in front of the North Stand. Vicente brilliantly brought the ball down on his chest and picked out the Albion winger in acres of space at the back post; Buckley volleyed the ball past Schmeichel.

And that was not the last of the drama. Vicente broke through on goal and was sent tumbling by former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns; Woolmer showed him a second yellow which was followed by a third red card of the afternoon, but the all-important stat read 1-0 to Albion.

TEAMS

Albion: (4-3-3) Brezovan (GK); Calderon, Greer, Dunk, El-Abd (Mattock 63); Sparrow, Navarro (Vokes 63), Bridcutt; Buckley, Mackail-Smith (Vicente 70), Barnes. Subs not used: Ankergren (GK), Forster-Caskey.

Leicester City: (4-3-3) Schmeichel (GK); Peltier, Mills, St. Ledger, Konchesky (Morgan 59); Drinkwater, Danns, Wellens (Marshall 67); Dyer, Nugent (Delfouneso 77), Beckford. Subs not used: Logan (GK), Gallagher.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Yellow Cards: Danns (Leicester City), Greer, Calderon, Bridcutt (Albion)

Red Cards: Beckford, Danns (Leicester City), Sparrow (Albion)

Lotto: www.seagullslotto.co.uk

Attendance: 20,223 (2,323 Leicester City)