Dean Wilkins has some difficult decisions to make about the 15 players out of contract at the end of the season but none will be more testing for the Albion manager than what to do about Gary Hart.

Out of the side since January, Hart's nine-year association with the Seagulls seemed to be drawing to a conclusion.

Now, out of the blue, he has returned to the team, which is bound to heighten the debate over whether he will be offered a new deal.

Hart is popular with supporters and speculation about his future has been feverish. They were glad to see him back and he is relieved, although disappointed that his restoration coincided with an unfortunate fourth straight defeat.

Hart has played in a variety of positions during his time at the club. He was at right-back when he made his previous League appearance early in the new year in the victory at Chesterfield.

Since occupyng the same role at Bristol City three days later in Albion's exit from the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, Hart had become a peripheral figure, consigned to a diet of reserve team football.

That changed four days after playing for the reserves at Millwall, as Hart was reunited with his close friend and fellow stalwart Kerry Mayo at Swansea's impressive Liberty Stadium.

He said: "It was nice. I had an inkling on Thursday that I was playing. I've just got on with things.

"I worked hard. It is a big difference from playing in the Reserves and towards the end I started to get tired but I enjoyed it, apart from the result. I just hope I have done enough to get back in the gaffer's mind.

"It was hot at Millwall and that took a lot out of me. I knew anyway that it is so much quicker in the first team but I found it hard.

"I have spoken to the gaffer about my situation. We haven't argued or anything like that. He picks his team and you have got to get on with it. I have trained as hard as I can and now I have played, which is really good.

"If I have done enough then I will play next week, if he doesn't think I have done enough then I might be on the bench. I take every game as it comes at the moment. One thing I have learnt this season is not to take anything for granted."

One area of debate is whether Hart has now made enough appearances this season for a new contract offer to automatically kick in.

He said: "I'm not sure myself. Everyone keeps on talking about my situation but, at the end of the day, the gaffer is in charge and whatever he does goes.

"We have still got two games this season so we will get them out of the way and then probably sit down and have a chat. I want to play in the last two games and I will deal with it then."

Whether Hart, diligent as ever, has done enough to feature in the final home game against Oldham on Saturday remains to be seen. He started on the right flank with Mayo, somewhat unusually, behind him at right-back, a ploy worked on in the reserves at Millwall.

In the second half Hart ended up back where he started his Albion career, as an orthodox centre forward, as Wilkins re-instated the midfield diamond after kicking off with a return to 4-4-2.

Wilkins explained: "We tried to fill the side out with experience and I wanted Adam El-Abd in midfield with Alexis Bertin to provide protection to the back four.

"I put Kerry in behind Gary, because they have played with each other for years. We were under a lot of pressure after the initial 20 minutes so we had to change it. I am not saying that combination didn't work, I just think the team shape wasn't working at the time, which is why we changed it and put Gary up front."

It looked as if Albion were going to puncture Swansea's play-off ambitions when Alex Revell, back in the starting line-up despite his hernia problem, continued his liking for the Welshmen only 14 minutes into the contest.

Unmarked, Revell steered in a header from another of those pinpoint free-kicks Sam Rents has a happy knack of delivering, his 11th goal of the season and first since scoring twice against Swansea in the 3-2 victory at Withdean in December.

The hosts, out-of-sorts and seemingly inhibited by their desperation for the points, were presented with parity midway through the first half.

Guy Butters miscued a clearance - a rarity in itself - Alan Tate headed the ball back over Albion's veteran captain into the heart of the box and, as it bounced and the rest of the defence hesitated, Darryl Duffy nodded over the stranded Scott Flinders.

Duffy, on loan from Hull, also landed the decisive blow four minutes from the break. The 23-year-old former Celtic and Glasgow Rangers striker was given too much time and room to control a deep cross from Tate on his chest, turn and rifle right-footed past Flinders from outside the area.

It was the second home game in succession that Duffy has scored twice, having done the same against Port Vale.

His goals could carry Swansea into the play-offs. Only goal difference divides them from the top six following favourable results elsewhere, although Albion can count themselves unlucky not to have prevented a fourth straight home win.

Dean Cox, warmly backed by the away fans following the abuse he suffered before the home game against Bradford, hit a post from 25 yards and the Seagulls had two strong claims for a penalty, one when El-Abd was brought down by Ian Craney, another when a Butters header appeared to be blocked with his hands by Ezomo Iriekpen.

Tommy Fraser, left out of the squad after starting against Bradford, did himself no favours in a full-on row with Wilkins' assistant Dean White in the middle of the pitch during the post-match warm down.

Wilkins was doubly distracted at the time by both a radio interview and hollering banter from a few well- liquidised hospitality box guests high up in the main stand.

I did witness the incident, though, and it was an unedifying spectacle, seeing a young player involved in such a heated bust-up with Albion's No. 2. That sort of thing really ought to be confined to the dressing room.

Players and fans alike are frustrated by Albion's failure to ease themselves into the comfort zone since reaching 52 points and assumed safety with victory at Northampton at the end of last month. Four defeats later they are all but mathematically safe, six points clear of the relegation zone with a healthy goal difference advantage, but only because Bradford lost at home to fellow strugglers Leyton Orient.

ALBION (4-4-2): Scott Flinders (GK), Kerry Mayo (RB), Zesh Rehman (CB), Guy Butters (CB), Sam Rents (LB), Gary Hart (RM), Alexis Bertin (CM), Adam El-Abd (CM), Dean Cox (LM), Bas Savage (CF), Alex Revell (CF). Subs: Jake Robinson (for Savage, 15), Nick Ward (for El-Abd, 65), Nathan Elder (for Hart, 84), Michel Kuipers, Tommy Elphick.

SWANSEA (4-4-2): Willy Gueret (GK), Alan Tate (RB), Ezomo Iriekpen (CB), Dennis Lawrence (CB), Marcos Painter (LB), Leon Britton (RM), Kristian O'Leary (CM), Ian Craney (CM), Andy Robinson (LM), Lee Trundle (CF), Darryl Duffy (CF). Subs: Tom Williams (for Painter, 46), Kevin Austin (for Robinson, 64), Pawel Abbott (for Duffy, 88), Andy Oakes, Kevin Amankwaah.

Should Gary Hart be offered a new deal by Albion?