As pre-round favourites to lift the Conference League trophy, Brighton carried the weight of expectation with them to the Czech Republic.

However, they looked suited to that high-pressure billing in the opening stages as they had Jablonec largely pinned inside their own half. 

But aside from a curling effort from Ibrahim Osman which drifted harmlessly wide, they never came close to a breakthrough, with the hosts’ offerings being few and far between in an attacking sense.

That said, they did remind the Seagulls that they still posed a threat when Antonín Rusek climbed highest among a raft of bodies to head a corner narrowly wide of the target.

It was a rare bright spark for the visitors, who were soon on the back foot once more, surviving two huge scares when Georginio Rutter first fired a left-footed effort into the grateful hands of Jan Hanus before he rolled his marker inside the area moments later and hammered an effort inches wide of the target in the first half’s final piece of real action.

Fabian Hurzeler’s men did, however, manage to get the ball in the net within five minutes of the restart when Malick Yalcouye was found in behind the Jablonec defence by Pascal Gross, but the Brighton man had strayed offside and his celebrations were cut short.

The hour mark brought around 500 minutes since Brighton last conceded a goal, but a lack of threat of their own prompted Hurzeler to make a quadruple change midway through the second half.

It didn’t particularly help them though, and only a stunning Bart Verbruggen save kept them on level terms when he tipped over to prevent Jiri Slama scoring a first club goal in four years.

The best chance to win the game came out of nothing and fell to Jablonec. Slama’s ball around the corner was hopeful at best, but Martin Cedidla managed to turn it into a good one, but he didn’t have the finish to match, and blazed a left-footed effort high and wide.

It proved to be a disappointing night for Brighton, who saw the goals dry up after firing in 22 across six successive victories prior. 

A point for Jablonec, meanwhile, was a huge feather in their cap, despite the draw halting their three-match winning home run in the Conference League.