Leon Knight is too good for his goal drought to continue much longer.

That is the message from former international striker John Byrne ahead of the clash between two of his old clubs, Albion and Queens Park Rangers.

Knight, a former Ranger himself, is stuck in the worst drought of his Albion career as he makes his 50th League appearance for the Seagulls at Withdean tomorrow.

The ex-Chelsea marksman, 22 yesterday, has still not broken his duck in the Coca-Cola Championship after spearheading Albion's promotion last season with 25 League goals.

Knight, suspended for the first three matches of the season, has not hit the target since the decisive penalty in the play-off final against Bristol City at Cardiff in May.

Adam Virgo is the Seagulls' unlikely top scorer with three goals, two of which have been scored in the four games since the young defender's conversion into a centre forward to partner Knight.

Byrne, who summarises on Albion home games for BBC Southern Counties Radio, said: "It doesn't really surprise me, because Virgs is always on the move and trying to get into the box. He will attack things and he is always chasing things.

"Leon is a different type of player. He needs things to be created for him. He needs wide players to get on the ball and get the ball in the box.

"At the moment it is not happening for him but he is a good player and a good finisher. He is just going through a bad patch.

"Virgs is going to go through a barren patch as well if he stays up there, all strikers do, but you have got to learn to come through that."

Byrne, 43, endured the odd famine himself during a distinguished career which included 30 goals in 126 League games for Rangers, 28 in 110 appearances for Albion and 23 Republic of Ireland caps.

His advice to Knight is to work hard and keep believing, then the goals will begin to flow again. "The only way you get through it is by doing the right things, making sure your play outside the box is good and that you are bringing people into the game," Byrne said.

"You are doing all the other things as a centre forward but still trying to get into the box and get on the end of things. Eventually they will start going in for you and you have just got to keep believing.

"The trouble with Leon at the moment is he is not even missing chances. That is worrying for a striker, when you are not actually getting on the end of anything."

Byrne has been impressed by the way Brighton-born Virgo has adapted to his revised role.

"During my career I can remember a centre half being stuck up front to try and get a goal in the last five minutes, but I never played with anyone who changed positions for any length of time," he said.

"I played against players who have though. When I first started in the game I remember playing at Lincoln and Mick Harford was a centre half, then you have got Dion Dublin and Paul Warhurst.

"A few players can make the transition and I think Adam has done absolutely brilliantly. It has added another string to his bow.

"He can obviously slot back into the defence if he needs to, but he is doing a great job. He is leading the line well, he's working hard and he is showing other players how hard you can work when you play up front, which I think has been good for the side.

"He's playing a little bit off the cuff. He is probably not thinking too much about what he is doing, which is a good thing. The more he plays up there the more he will learn and by listening to Mark McGhee, who obviously played up there all his career, he can only get better."

Virgo's first-half winner at Leicester and late equaliser at Watford last Saturday were shots from around the edge of the area.

McGhee said: "Virgs is due a simple goal, one he glances or taps in or something that drops to him perhaps from a corner or someone else's shot. The quality of goals he has scored has been exceptional.

"We can never have expected Adam to do as well as he has. We had no fears he would do some sort of job, but he has looked like a centre forward and not a centre half playing at centre forward."