Albion's acting manager Bob Booker has paid tribute to the mental strength of the players.

They put Micky Adams' move to Leicester behind them to rise a place to third with Saturday's 2-1 win at promotion rivals Huddersfield.

Bobby Zamora's ninth goal of the season and Gary Hart's first since the end of March leaves the Seagulls behind new leaders Brentford and Bristol City on goal difference.

Booker said: "It was a difficult week for everybody. The manager has spoken before about the players being strong physically, but after the events of the week they had to be strong mentally.

"They were from the moment we travelled up after training on Friday to the final whistle."

Chairman Dick Knight is stepping up his search for Adams' successor. Knight revealed to The Argus on Saturday than he has whittled 50 serious applicants down to a shortlist of four.

Booker is not one of them, although Knight also stated the position of the man Adams appointed as assistant a year ago is safe along with the rest of the coaching staff.

Booker said: "I have focused on the job I was asked to do, which was to take charge of the team for the weekend.

"When you take the job of assistant you are hoping to blood yourself as a manager.

"As far as this job is concerned I had seven years with the youth team at Brentford and now I've been with Micky down here. I'll take it from week to week."

Booker is expected to remain in charge for tomorrow night's LDV Vans Trophy tie at Swansea, with director of youth Martin Hinshelwood assisting him as he did on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Zamora is coy about the possibility of teaming up again with Adams at Leicester.

"I don't know about that really," he said. "I haven't heard anything at all, only paper talk. I didn't pay attention to it all last season, so I don't think I should this time.

"Micky has an opportunity to go and prove himself at a higher level and I don't think anyone can blame him for doing that. He brought me to the club and I owe him a lot.

"We were obviously gutted, but we get paid to do a job and we have a good bunch of pros here."

Albion have a doubt about Richard Carpenter tomorrow night after he was forced off in the closing stages at Huddersfield by a calf injury.