Albion boss Micky Adams is guarding against complacency and working as hard as ever after a golden year kicked off by the worst moment of his career.

On August Bank Holiday last season Albion lost 2-0 at home to Kidderminster to sink to 20th place in the Third Division.

It was their fourth defeat out of five and fans at Withdean were calling for Adams' head.

Twelve months on, the Seagulls are flying high in Division Two. Monday's 4-0 battering of Blackpool at Withdean lifted them to fifth.

They could go top if Bristol City fail to beat QPR tonight and they win at Northampton tomorrow night.

During that period those same supporters have seen their side lose at Withdean only once, against Southend on New Year's Day.

But the memory of the foul-mouthed abuse aimed at Adams after the Kidderminster debacle ensures his feet will remain firmly on the floor.

"That is probably as low as I have ever been in football," he said. "I got a lot of stick from the crowd, which is never pleasant. There were too many expletives to remember. They were aiming their anger at me and Corky (Alan Cork), saying perhaps it was time we left.

"A year on that's football for you. You have just got to believe in yourself and keep working hard.

"It's all about confidence. I keep talking about the mental strength of players and that's a big issue. We went out the next game, won 6-2 and were off and flying. I couldn't have imagined things going better since then. Now it is almost like waiting for the wheels to fall off."

Adams, with the support of his staff, bounced back to silence the knockers, but he knows it only requires a run of bad results for events to turn full-circle again.

"I had a good staff around me as well, who were fiercely loyal and protective and just told me to keep going," he said. "You don't ever take that kind of abuse lightly. Once you have been on the receiving end you realise what can happen. You should never ever be complacent, because that is the time this game kicks you. I know that from bitter experience.

"At Fulham I had a director telling me I was going to be the next Alex Ferguson and see the club into the Premier League.

"A week later the same fella called me in and sacked me, so I take everything with a pinch of salt.

"I am not working any less today because we are slightly successful than I did when we were struggling."