In the end, a late John Finnigan penalty earned Cheltenham Town a final point of a memorable season.
Cheltenham were far from their best, and needed to overturn a half time deficit to extend their final points tally for the campaign to 54.
And that equated to 17th position in the third tier of Engish football; the 61st best side nationally - the club's highest ever standing.
The game itself wasn't a classic, but it didn't matter. Whaddon Road was in party mood with League One football secured for another season.
The sole change to the 16 that achieved that feat at Rotherham last weekend came on the bench. Sosthene Yao was replaced by Andy Gallinagh in an otherwise unchanged teamsheet on a perfect afternoon in Gloucestershire.
The home side could have been up inside 50 seconds.
Duff was the source of the first chance after David Bird had launched one of his long throws in from right. Brighton failed to clear the danger but the centre half fired wide from 16 yards.
Finnigan thumped a volley over five minutes later after Kayode Odejayi and Steven Gillespie combined in the right channel to set up the skipper from 20 yards.
He went even closer in the 14th minute when he drove a chance through a crowded penalty area after some good work from Melligan on the right. His shot travelled a foot wide.
Duff released Gillespie a moment later with a great ball, although the striker dragged his shot across Michel Kuipers goalmouth as the home side continued their bright start.
But Albion, who lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Adam El-Abd sat behind the front pairing, took the lead with their first real chance of the afternoon, and it was a soft goal from a Cheltenham perspective.
The seasiders built down the right and when the ball came out to Zesh Rehman, the right back centred. Striker Nathan Elder shrugged off Michael Townsend and planted a free header into the top right-hand corner of Scott Brown's goal for his first goal on his innagural start for his employers.
Cheltenham's frustration boiled over after the half hour after Odejayi was clattered on the left turning in from the touchline. The striker got to his feet and appeared to push Rehman, and was subsequently cautioned.
Brighton could have been two up before the break, and in a similar fashion to that of the goal. Alexis Bertin swung the cross in from the right and Alex Revell nodded wide.
Gillespie tamely rolled a long ranger in first half injury time, but the home side never really hurt Brighton in the first period.
Cheltenham started the second half positively, and Odejayi got a downward header on target, but the effort was weak and held by Kuipers.
At the other end, Brighton skipper Guy Butters really should have done better from close range after some more sloppy Cheltenham defending at a Bertin corner from the right.
The home side almost forced an equaliser from a set-piece afterwards, and although the routine was not cleanly executed, the move was rekindled at the near post by Odejayi. The striker played in Gillespie, and then Finnigan but neither could force the loose ball home.
A free-kick from Armstrong deep inside his own half was headed on by Odejayi on the hour, but Kuipers was quick of his line to beat Gillespie to the ball attempting an acrobatic finish ten yards out.
The former Dutch marine was equal to a fine solo effort by Gillepie a couple of minutes later, but generally Cheltenham struggled to string together any decisive attacking momentum.
So with around 20 minutes to play, Ward sent on Paul Connor (for Odejayi) and Craig Reid (Caines) to rescue the game, setting his side up to match Brighton man-for-man in a 4-4-3 shape.
Melligan was a whisker away from recording the equaliser with a 25-yard free-kick, but the strike flew past the left upright.
Next Gillespie shot on the turn from distance but it went high and wide.
Brown pulled off a couple of stops to deny Revell and Dean Cox in the closing stages, and they were vital because with five minutes remaining, the contest was squared.
Armstrong took responsibilty for a free-kick 30 yards out, but it cleared everybody in the penalty area and looked set to roll out for a free-kick.
But substitute Reid chased it, kept it in and lifted a ball to the back post where Melligan got a header on target. Rehman got inbetween the effort and the goal but his attempted clearance was adjudged to have struck his hand and the referee pointed to the spot.
Finnigan stepped up and planted the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net to maintain his 100% record from the spot and register his eighth strike of a memorable season, his best tally for a campaign.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Gill, Townsend, Duff, Armstrong; Melligan, Finnigan, Bird, Caines (Reid 73); Gillespie, Odejayi (Connor 69). Subs not used: Lowe, Connolly, Gallinagh.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (4-3-3): Kuipers; Rehman, Elphick, Butters (c), Rents; Bertin, El-Abd, Cox (Fraser 87); Revell, Hart, Elder. Subs not used: Sullivan (c), Robinson, Gatting, Loft, Fraser.
REFEREE: A.R. Hendly (Hertfordshire)
ATTENDANCE: 6,232 (1,077 from Brighton)