The 129 Pools fans who made the long trip to Brighton were treated to a Halloween thriller at the Withdean Stadium this afternoon.

A topsy-turvy game swung one way then the other with some frantic defending at times during an open encounter between two well-matched sides.

While a final score of 3-3 was a just one with neither side really deserving to lose, the big question was how there had not been more goals to enjoy.

It was Pools who struck the first blow when Adam Boyd - who had twice got in to good positions by way of a warning to the hosts - fired in from ten yards.

Neil Austin traded passes with Leon McSweeney down the right-hand side and when the full-back whipped in a low cross, Boyd controlled and spun goalwards to produce a lethal finish.

With the Brighton fans already anxious after last week's 2-0 defeat to Oldham, it was a big blow for Russell Slade's side - but they responded positively.

Liam Dickinson and Nicky Forster are a powerful duo in attack and Dickinson should have equalised from close range but saw his header flash wide.

The former Stockport front man then went even closer after great work by Forster down the line but this time Dickinson was denied by a fine save low to his left from Scott Flinders.

The pressure had to tell though, and Albion were back on level terms when Dickinson finally got his goal. Forster laid the ball off on the edge of the box and, while Dickinson's first shot was bravely blocked by Jones, it fell back to big striker who had more than a slice of luck seeing his second effort bounce hard into the turf and loop over the stranded Flinders.

Forster could have put the hosts in front after Dickinson's near-post flick, but it wasn't long before the home fans were on their feet again.

Dickinson spun Liddle delightfully on the halfway line and released the dangerous Elliott Bennett down the right wing. His low cross travelled across the six-yard area and Forster needed no second invitation to drill Albion in front.

However, the joy was short-lived as two Brighton defenders went for the same ball, leaving Boyd in lots of space on the right side of the box. He pulled it across for Behan who couldn't get a clean strike but Andy Monkhouse arrived to control the ball, dummy round the defender and fire a right-footed equaliser.

And the Pools fans were in raptures at half time as Turner's men stole in front in injury time. Leon McSweeney was forced off through injury and his replacement Colin Larkin had an immediate impact, delivering a low ball in to Ritchie Jones who steadied himself and found the bottom corner to make it 3-2.

After a slow start to the second half, the game burst back in to life when El-Abd took a quick free-kick down the right to Bennett. He ran positively down the flank and whipped a ball across goal where Flinders denied Dickinson only for Forster to ram home the rebound from ten yards.

Larkin fed Boyd down the right-hand side but his shot was saved, while Behan also tested the keeper from the edge of the box as the home defence backed off.

Pools survived an almighty scramble inside their area before Neil Austin saw his near-post free-kick well palmed round the post.

Bennett drilled a shot past Flinders' left-hand post at the other end, while Gary Dicker curled one just too high as the Seagulls pushed for a winner.

As the game approached its final stages it seemed as if both sides had settled for a point though Boyd almost grabbed some glory in the final moments but he mis-hit a volley after finding himself in space inside the area.

Another creditable point on their travels for Pools then - and plenty for the travelling fans to talk about on the journey home.

Full Time: Brighton & Hove Albion 3 Pools 3

Attendance: 5,694 (129 Pools fans)

Brighton: Smith, Hoyte, Elphick (Virgo 65), Tunnicliffe, El-Abd, Bennett, Dicker, Crofts, Davies (Cox 65), Forster, Dickinson.
Subs not used: Navarro, Hart, Murray, Thornhill, Kuipers.

Pools: Flinders, Austin, Collins, Liddle, Hartley, McSweeney (Larkin 45), Jones (Sweeney 46), Humphreys, Monkhouse, Boyd, Behan (Greulich 80).
Subs not used: Cook, Haslam, Fredriksen, Bjornsson.