RED-HOT Rudy Gestede’s 10th goal of the season earned Rovers a draw that means they will go into the international break seventh in the Championship, one point behind the play-off places and five from top spot.

The Seagulls opened the scoring three minutes before the end of a pedestrian first half after on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Gary Gardner netted from a controversially awarded corner.

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But Gestede equalised six minutes into the second half with a stupendous header to ensure Gary Bowyer’s side stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches.

The big news before kick-off was Rovers boss Bowyer’s decision to drop Jordan Rhodes for a league game for the first time this season and for the first time since January 18.

The prolific striker’s place was taken by the fit-again Lee Williamson who slotted into a three-man midfield alongside Corry Evans and Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Brighton also made one change to the team that started their morale-boosting 1-0 home win over Wigan Athletic in the week as Rohan Ince replaced Liverpool starlet Joao Teixeira, one of six loan players signed by boss Sami Hyypia.

Rules state that a club can pick only five loanees in a matchday squad.

On-loan Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi, who had been ineligible to face his parent club on Tuesday, was the player to miss out.

That meant that 18-year-old Christian Walton retained his place in Seagulls boss Hyypia’s starting line-up after keeping a clean sheet on his league debut.

And, after a moving ceremony to mark Remembrance Day, in which the rival managers laid wreaths on the ground, Walton was soon into the action.

Ben Marshall, who had shaken off the injury he sustained in the 2-2 draw at Millwall, raced away down the left and sent over a cross that Brighton captain Gordon Greer headed toward the back post – and toward Tom Cairney.

But before Cairney could force the ball over the line, Walton reacted quickly to push it behind for a corner and prevent a certain goal.

The next opportunity also fell Rovers’ way after a Markus Olsson cross into the box was cleared only as far as Tunnicliffe.

But the on-loan Fulham midfielder, instructed to press high up behind lone frontman Rudy Gestede, dragged his 20-yard effort harmlessly wide.

Sam Baldock also should have done better when presented with the best chance of the half in the 24th minute.

But, after taking a pass from on-loan Norwich City winger Elliott Bennett, he shot tamely straight at Jason Steele.

It was powder puff stuff – as was most of the first half itself.

That said Rovers, who were without the ball for long passages, did attempt to threaten on a couple of occasions through Marshall, who curled a free kick wide and then brought a comfortable stop out of Walton from distance.

But, just as the period appeared to be meandering to a close, it was Brighton who opened the scoring three minutes before the break.

A Jake Forster-Caskey corner – given despite the fact that the ball seemed to hit Inigo Calderon last before crossing the line – was allowed to travel to the back post.

And there was Gardner, his side’s match-winner against Wigan, scruffily turned the ball past Steele and into the bottom corner for his second goal in as many games.

Corner or not it was such a soft goal to concede.

And Rovers may have fallen further behind had captain Grant Hanley not been in the right time at the right place to hack away a dangerous centre across goal from Baldock after he escaped Shane Duffy.

Both teams had been lacklustre in the first 45 minutes.

But both showed signs of improvements straight after the restart with the dangerous Gardner dragging one attempt from range wide and Forster-Caskey testing Steele with another.

It was Rovers, however, who scored next thanks to Gestede’s fifth goal in four games.

Olsson’s cross was a good one and the towering targetman showed incredible power and athleticism to loop a 15-yard head over Walton and in off the woodwork, backspin taking the ball over the line.

The Seagulls responded well to the equaliser.

But Rovers weathered the storm and they could and should have taken the lead in the 66th minute after Gestede cushioned a header into the path of the well-placed Hanley, who could only plant a header of his own a few yards past the post.

Gestede then curled the ball straight down Walton’s throat from 20 yards when he had team-mates better positioned left and right.

At the other end a fine and brave block from Alex Baptiste stopped a Kazenga LuaLua shot from troubling Steele.

The 835 Rovers fans behind Walton’s goal were calling for the introduction of Rhodes.

Instead it was Brighton old boy Craig Conway who came on for Cairney before Rhodes arrived in injury-time.

With one minute of normal time remaining Conway gave away the ball in the middle of the field to Joe Bennett, whose 25-yard strike was spilled, but then gathered at the second attempt, by Steele.

Brighton: Walton, Calderon, Dunk, Greer, J Bennett, Ince, Forster-Caskey (McCourt 70), Gardner, E Bennett, Baldock (O'Grady 90), LuaLua. Subs not used: Ankergren, Halford, Holla, Colunga, Teixeira.

Booked: Dunk, Ince.

Goal: Gardner 42.

Rovers: Steele, Baptiste, Hanley, Duffy, Olsson, Evans, Williamson, Tunnicliffe, Marshall, Cairney (Conway 80), Gestede (Rhodes 90). Subs not used: Eastwood, Henley, Dunn, Varney, Taylor.

Booked: Duffy, Evans, Baptiste, Conway.

Goal: Gestede 51.

Referee: Mark Haywood.

Attendance: 24,840 (835 away).