Ben Roberts is longing for an injury-free run of games now that he has got his hands on the goalkeeping position.

The former Charlton custodian wants to keep a firm grip on the No. 1 role after winning his battle for supremacy with Michel Kuipers.

The pair had been alternating since the appointment of Mark McGhee as manager.

The sharing stopped last Saturday when the injury-ravaged Roberts was recalled against Bristol City.

McGhee revealed after Albion's 4-1 drubbing that Roberts "will be given a chance to prove he is the one".

Roberts, fit-again following more back trouble, declared: "I'm delighted with that. I didn't watch as much football as I could have when I was out. I find it easier just to turn my back, because it really upsets me.

"Michel was fantastic and the results spoke for themselves. I probably got a chance sooner than I thought I would have and I've got to try and grab it with both hands.

"That is why I am working as hard as I can in training. Hopefully the results will pick up with that as well.

"I just want to keep myself fit and to have 15 or 20 games on the bounce. That's what I need, because to come in and go back out you can't be judged.

"You need to get into the routine of games week in and week out."

That is a situation Roberts has not enjoyed much throughout his career.

Albion are the eighth club for the 28-year-old shot-stopper from Bishop Auckland, yet he has played less than 100 League games.

Roberts' longest run for the Seagulls came at the start of the season after Steve Coppell re-signed him from Charlton, permanently this time rather than on loan.

He let in nine goals in eight games before the back problems which plagued him at Middlesbrough resurfaced, sidelining him for seven weeks.

"I'd been carrying it for about three weeks and it reached the point where I wasn't getting any stretch at all," Roberts explained.

"All the muscles went into spasm to protect an injury which must be in there. I couldn't bend any more, so I had to pull out of training.

"I've had back problems for years, so it must be related. A similar thing happened at Middlesbrough. In the end I needed a big operation and since then it has been fine.

"I had a week of intense rehabilitation at Lilleshall and that was fantastic. It was really good to just forget about football for a week and concentrate on my back with no driving or anything.

"At the moment I feel good, but I've missed seven or eight weeks of football so it's a case of having to be patient with myself.

"You want to go back in and be fine at everything, but there are so many aspects to goalkeeping. It would have helped if we had been winning. I could have relaxed a little bit then.

"Because we have been losing I wanted to be on top form straight away. Sometimes it just takes a bit of patience and working twice as hard in training to try and turn the corner."

Roberts, like Kuipers, has been uncharacteristically below-par since McGhee's arrival.

He gifted Boston a late equaliser in his comeback at Withdean at the start of the month when he was caught in possession trying to dribble past an opponent.

"I did some good things and some bad things in the Boston game," Roberts said. "It's getting some consistency back into your performance.

"And then, of course, that mistake was ridiculous. I was getting too cocky and I've got to make sure that doesn't happen again."

Roberts could not be directly blamed for any of the Bristol goals last Saturday but he was far from happy with his performance.

His distribution, usually one of the strongest parts of his game, was not up to scratch.

"I don't think it's any good for any of us to look at our performances last Saturday and think we didn't do anything wrong," Roberts admitted. "All of us did things wrong.

"My kicking was poor and it was men against boys. Eleven of us walked off that pitch embarrassed. We let everyone down.

"Distribution is a key part of the game, but I caught balls and there was nothing on at times.

"Then, instead of being able to kick it in behind them I ballooned a few out to the right. I wasn't happy with my performance at all to be honest.

"I couldn't do much about the goals, but that isn't all of it. I prefer sometimes to have nothing to do, keep a clean sheet, but be tidy with my distribution, catching and positioning.

"In the long term that makes you a better goalkeeper than having loads to do week in and week out. It's cutting mistakes out and getting consistency in your game.

"It's no good going home and thinking 'I can excuse myself from that'. I don't, I was part of it and we were awful.

"I need games and if that's going to be in the first team now I just want to get a run together, get that consistency and then be reliable."

McGhee needs to be able to rely on Roberts as well now that he has made his choice. Albion's promotion hopes could depend on it.