THE red alert at the Macron Stadium has been downgraded to a yellow; it is officially NOT the end of the world.

All this is because, for one glorious moment 94 minutes into a quite marvellous game of football, everyone connected with Wanderers went completely bonkers.

When Gary Madine ended a 20-hour scoring drought with a majestic header to earn a point against the leaders of the Championship, we saw scenes of celebration not witnessed in these parts for far too long.

Supporters young and old were jumping up and down in elation, players mobbed the goalscorer and Liam Feeney, who had supplied the ammunition, hell, even the press box went bananas.

Neil Lennon might have beaten Barcelona, won Old Firm derbies and lifted trophies at Wembley – but he wasn’t beyond succumbing to a moment of pure joy either, sprinting up the touchline and punching the air with glee the second Madine’s header hit the back of the net.

When referee Mark Haywood blew the final whistle a few moments later a point was celebrated like three – James Brown pumping from the speakers and fans sticking behind to cheer the players off the pitch.

Forget the Blood Moon – Wanderers were seconds away from a defeat that really would have felt like the sky was falling in, and perhaps that explains the massive release of tension when Madine’s goal hit.

Lennon had spent the previous week trying to recruit a striker and despite going close with Marvin Emnes and Igor Vetokele, he drew a blank. And that would have been magnified ten-fold had his side walked away on Saturday evening with nothing.

As well as the Whites played in the opening half an hour they failed to turn their ingenuity into goals, and not for the first time this season.

Brighton showed why they top the division, Dale Stephens and Jamie Murphy finishing off two clinical pieces of football to leave Lennon on his haunches.

Wanderers briefly sank to the foot of the live league table and all the criticism that came their way after the dismal second half against Huddersfield Town was ready to rain down again.

This time, however, there would be no collapse. Neil Danns – one of the few to come away from the John Smith’s Stadium with his head held high – dispossessed Beram Kayal and drove a low shot into the bottom corner to halve the deficit and restore some faith.

There were times in the second half when Lennon’s lack of options on the bench looked like they would cost him.

Yet a red card shown to Jamie Murphy for a horrible challenge on Danns with 16 minutes to go signalled a full court press; Wanderers huffed and puffed until Madine brought the house down.

The former Sheffield Wednesday man had come in for some serious stick in recent weeks after his initially impressive performances dropped off.

It had been a long wait since he last found the net for Blackpool last season, and fans, perhaps unfairly, were starting to mention him in the same undistinguished breath as a Grzegorz Rasiak, an Ian Moores or a Mario Jardel.

But the Gateshead-born striker showed he was made of sterner stuff and despite missing a good chance in the first half, seeing another saved by David Stockdale and having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, he got his just reward in the end.

Lennon had gambled heavily with the starting line-up but each of his decisions paid off.

Max Clayton had been out for nine months with a serious knee injury but returned with all the creative flair and energy his manager could possibly have wished for, not to mention a more durable physique.

David Wheater hadn’t featured since March but stepped in alongside Prince-Desire Gouano to battle a formidable front two in Bobby Zamora – making his first Brighton appearance in 12 years – and Sam Baldock.

Not everything came off for the big man but he showed once again why he is a player you’d want with you in the trenches, throwing his body in the way of everything Brighton fired into the penalty area.

He also added some bulk to a side that were effectively bulled at Huddersfield last weekend – but here at the Macron it is a very different story.

There was a time when playing at home would be a fraught experience, something perhaps only old hands like Wheater and Mark Davies could recall.

But Lennon’s greatest achievement so far is giving his stadium an aura of invincibility and the fact Wanderers did not sink is as much as testament to the crowd’s reaction to going 2-0 down as the players’ response.

Lennon will question the defending for both of Brighton’s goals. Ben Amos made a most uncharacteristic spill to allow Zamora to set Stephens up for the first, and both Dean Moxey and Wheater did little to close down Liam Rosenior for the cross that led to Murphy’s second.

The timing of Danns’ goal was crucial for it gave some hope, as was Chris Hughton’s decision to put all 10 men behind the ball when Murphy was sent off.

It was just a matter of whether Wanderers had the guile to break through. Luck looked against them as referee Haywood failed to punish Bruno for a handball in the penalty box. Madine’s disallowed goal also looked onside at first view.

When the breakthrough finally arrived, however, it was oh so worth it.

“I’m still shaking,” admitted Lennon as he slouched against the wall of the press room, emotions completely spent.

“We came in at half time at 2-0 down and thought ‘where has that come from?’ It’s typical us.

“There was nothing in the game and we were playing the better football. But the good thing was that we got a goal back – Dannsy won a great tackle and smashed it in.

“We don’t do that enough, shooting from outside the box, but we were able to get them in at half time and galvanise them.

“The game went the way it went, and obviously the sending off had an effect on Brighton, but I thought we at least deserved a point.”