Matthew Wicks is looking forward to an injury-free future after a surprise late birthday present.

The central defender, 23 last Saturday, made only his second start since mid-February in Tuesday's Worthington Cup defeat by Southampton.

Wicks' call-up in place of the hamstrung Danny Cullip ended months of frustration for the former Arsenal and Manchester United schoolboy.

He missed the title run-in last season with a recurrence of hamstring damage, then thigh trouble ruled him out of the first few weeks of the current campaign.

"I found out I was playing about an hour before kick-off, so it came as a pleasant surprise," Wicks said.

"I have been training quite well and played in a couple of reserve games so I felt I might have a chance, although I thought Crosser (Andy Crosby) might have got the nod over me.

"It's been a nightmare, especially missing the back end of last season. I got myself very fit and then a week before the start of the season I suffered a thigh injury in training.

"I played on with it hoping it would go away, but it gradually got worse and I had to make a decision two days before the first game that I wasn't going to be right.

"I was gutted. I had worked so hard and was in touching distance of possibly starting the season, then I had to sit back and watch the lads do really well."

Wicks' only other start since the winter was in Albion's penultimate away match last season at Halifax, two days after the title triumph against Chesterfield, so he was bound to be a bit rusty.

He said: "From a personal point of view I thought I was very unlucky with their goal in the first half.

"The ball was whipped across, it got a flick-on, I leant to reach it and it ricocheted into James Beattie's path.

"I felt a little bit short. I've not had a lot of decent match practice, but I played 90 minutes injury free. I have got that on board now and can look to the future."

Saints prevented Bobby Zamora adding to his incredible Withdean scoring record of 32 goals in as many games.

He nearly added to that tally early on when he latched on to a quickly taken free-kick from Paul Watson, but it was disallowed for offside.

Saints skipper and Spurs target Dean Richards spent much of the night marking the Seagulls' hotshot and he believes Zamora can become a Premiership player.

"He started well, then as the game went on I managed to get to grips with him," Richards said. "He's got good movement, he is sharp, still young and will learn a lot more.

"If he was playing with better players he could probably do some damage. No disrespect to the boys at Brighton, but the higher he goes the more quality balls he's going to get.

"He has scored goals at a lower level and I am sure he can do it at a higher level as well. I don't see any reason why he cannot be a Premiership player."