KEN BATES HAS PROMISED A “lorra, lorra laughs” at Elland Road and Cilla Black could well have kitted out David Yelldell, in the Brighton & Hove Albion goal, in garish pink. The butt of much ribald humour, the young American goalkeeper had the last laugh on Leeds United, producing a string of fine saves on Saturday and bringing all the talk of a new era crashing back down to earth.

Yelldell, on loan from Blackburn Rovers, had only been introduced to his team-mates a few hours earlier, while up front for Brighton, Bates possibly noticed something familiar about the diminutive tyro running his new team’s back four ragged. Leon Knight, who had come through the Chelsea ranks and spent much of his time there on loan, easily outshone Leeds’s faltering attack, with the singular exception of the zealous Aaron Lennon early in the game.

After a quick salute to generous applause, Leeds’s silver-bearded saviour settled in the directors’ box for a first close-up view of the team, which probably confirmed his worst fears. The club is off its life-support machine, but with the budget showing another £6 million loss next year, Bates’s plans to cut costs and generate extra revenue are going to have to work smartly to halt the continuing slide into mediocrity on the field. “I am no Abramovich, ” Bates said, by way of emphasis, in the match programme.

Leeds began both halves at full pelt but embarrassingly ran out of steam, while Brighton picked up the pace after having struggled to adjust to a 3-5-2 system and thoroughly merited their equalising goal. Plodding and vulnerable to Knight’s incursions and Charlie Oatway’s clever thinking in midfield before a rush of blood brought Oatway a red card for kicking out at Simon Walton, the 36-year-old Guy Butters eventually headed home. Leeds barely summoned a response, other than Eirik Bakke getting himself booked within two minutes of his first appearance for nine months.

Yelldell, who produced one stunning finger-tip save to deny Gary Kelly, was not the only reason that Leeds failed to supplement Clarke Carlisle’s 43rd-minute strike. Brian Deane, the veteran player, sorely lacked his predatory instincts and Walton’s control in midfield was far from his usual standard.

Then there is Leeds’s nasty habit of throwing away leads. “It’s happened on several occasions and it’s something we need to address. It could have been all over at half-time,” Sam Ellis, the Leeds assistant manager, lamented.

Kevin Blackwell’s non-appearance was because the manager was “tied up”, Ellis said. Doubtless with the chairman, who can point to the £88 million pre-tax loss in 2004 at Chelsea and muse that his new club’s financial position, in one sense, is not so bad.

Leeds United (4-3-3): N Sullivan — G Kelly, C Carlisle, P Butler, F Richardson — S Walton (sub: E Bakke, 88min), S Gregan, G Einarsson — A Lennon (sub: M Spring, 78), B Deane, D Healy. Substitutes not used: P Harrison, M Ricketts, L Griffit. Booked: Deane, Bakke. NEXT: Burnley (a). FORM: DLWDWL

Brighton & Hove Albion (3-5-2): D Yelldell — A Virgo, A Hinshelwood, G Butters — K Mayo, D Harding (sub: N Jones, 63), R Carpenter, C Oatway, P Reid — L Knight (sub: A Nicolas, 89), M McCammon (sub: G Hart, 51). Substitutes not used: C May, A El-Abd. Sent off: Oatway. NEXT: Derby County (h). FORM: DDWWDD

Referee: M Thorpe.

Attendance: 27,033

Shots on target: (h) 10 (a) 3. Fouls: (h) 20 (a) 13. Offsides: (h) 0 (a) 3