Former Albion manager Micky Adams today backed Adam Virgo to keep the Seagulls up.

Adams regards the defender turned goalscorer as a key figure in his old club's fight for Championship survival.

The Coventry boss was impressed by Virgo's performance as a centre forward in Albion's controversial 2-1 defeat at Highfield Road on Saturday.

Virgo scored the only goal against Adams' Leicester side earlier in the season and his second-half equaliser on Saturday raised his tally to eight.

Adams, who gave Virgo his debut when he was Albion's manager, said: "He has the all-round ability to be anything he wants to be.

"If he wants to be a centre forward he will give his best where ever he plays, that is the type of player he is.

"We saw on Saturday his goal and all-round play. He's vital."

Forward firepower in the last six matches, starting at Preston tonight, will have a major bearing on whether Albion stay up or go down.

They have the fourth-worst attack in the Championship, with 34 goals from 40 games. Only rock-bottom Rotherham, Stoke and Burnley have scored fewer.

Manager Mark McGhee acknowledged: "I was a centre forward myself and I've always said the diference between teams is their strikers.

"Even on Saturday, Coventry brought on Adebola, Morrell and Trevor Benjamin. When you have those sort of reserves to come on and change the game it gives you a bit of an advantage.

"We don't really have that, so our strikers have to play well from the beginning and I think that can be the difference. We have three strikers in Leon (Knight), Virgs and Mark McCammon. Maybe I have to consider bringing one off the bench in order to try to maintain the momentum or change the game."

Knight is suspended for Saturday's visit by Leicester and the trip to Burnley a week later after picking up his tenth booking against Coventry.

"We'll worry about Leon's ban after tonight," McGhee said. "He has to play better than he did on Saturday for it to be a worry."

Albion are boosted this evening by Richard Carpenter's return from a three-match ban.

"I think we are going to improve with Richard coming back into the team," said McGhee. "He just gives us that fulcrum in the middle of the park, to get the ball down and make that extra pass.

"We have to play more football than we have in a few games recently. We have to keep the ball better up front as well to do that but we've still showed we have got a great spirit and without that you have no chance.

"It's not just about us, we are looking at other people as well and I think other people have more problems than us.

"All of that combined leads me to believe we can survive in this division. We've got to keep our nerve and keep believing what we are doing is right and hopefully, with a little bit extra that Richard will bring, we can transform the defeats into a draw or win."

Albion could drop into the relegation zone tonight if they don't win and results elsewhere go against them.

Adams, who brought players like Carpenter and captain Charlie Oatway to the club, is optimistic they will survive.

"I would never ever write Albion off, because I know what is in that dressing room," he said. "They will give everything to the cause. They will sweat blood if they have to."