Former Albion loanee Levi Colwill watched as Shannon Ruth’s under-21s battled back from two goals down to record their first Premier League 2 victory of the season.
In-form England under-17 striker Ronnie Stutter, who had scored twice in Chelsea’s 6-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers in their opening fixture, netted another brace to put Colwill's club 2-0 ahead.
But in an encouraging response to last week’s 4-2 home defeat by Leeds United, Luca Barrington levelled the scores with goals either side of the interval and Mark O’Mahony hit what proved to be the winner.
With ex-Chelsea defender Tariq Lamptey strengthening the Albion side on a return to familiar surroundings, the visitors took the game to their hosts and Barrington could have opened the scoring only to head over the bar when Lamptey’s cross found him unmarked.
Instead it was Chelsea who took the lead in controversial circumstances after five minutes. Albion waited confidently for the whistle to blow when Stutter appeared to trip Ruairi McConville as they chased a through pass. But it never sounded and Stutter ran clear to score.
Albion refused to allow that misfortune to derail them and Cam Peupion had a goal-bound shot charged down by Alex Matos.
However, Chelsea always looked dangerous on the break and it was 2-0 after 28 minutes. Stutter was again the scorer, although he was, perhaps, fortunate that the defence was wrong-footed by Jimmy-Jay Morgan’s mis-kick.
But Albion persevered and were back in the game a minute before the interval when Barrington cut in from the left and shot into the bottom corner of the net.
They opened the second half as strongly as they had finished the first, Barrington seeing a volley saved and Andrew Moran an effort blocked.
And in the 52nd minute Barrington levelled the scores with a shot on the turn after Mark O’Mahony had fought tigerishly to win back possession in the Chelsea penalty area.
Albion’s comeback was complete after 63 minutes when Samy Chouchane crossed low from the right and O’Mahony netted from point-blank range. Barrington could even have completed his hat-trick but half-volleyed over an empty net.
Brighton and Hove Albion (4-2-3-1): K Cahill; T Lamptey (C Nilsson 64), R McConville (N Atom 64), J Hinshelwood, I Samuels; S Chouchane (J Mullins 74), J Hinchy; C Peupion, A Moran, L Barrington (J Duffus 79); M O’Mahony.
Subs not used: T Reid.