ALBION No. 1 Mark Walton has vowed to be fit to embark on another FA Cup adventure.

The big Welshman reckons he will be ready for tomorrow's first-round showdown at Peterborough, despite suffering a groin injury at Cheltenham last Saturday.

"It's okay, just a strain," Walton said. "It has responded very well to treatment and hopefully I will be fit, if selected."

Manager Micky Adams has already said a fit Walton, a semi-finalist with Norwich seven years ago, retains his place for the London Road clash, although Mark Ormerod will be on the bench as cover.

The 0-0 draw for Albion at Peterborough in the League earlier this month launched a remarkable run for the modest Walton after he came under fire from fans and asked for a transfer.

He has kept four clean sheets in five games, including three in a row away, and let in only one goal, at home to York in injury time.

"It has just happened that way," he said. "We have gone from strength to strength and I haven't had a lot to do. It's been a team effort. The boys have done really well.

"There has been an extra buzz this week. The atmosphere is entirely different when it's a one-off game in the FA Cup.

"I got to the semi-finals with Norwich, when we lost 1-0 to Sunderland at Hillsborough, and if things go well we know we have the chance of playing against one of the big boys.

"It would be nice to do that and for the club to make some money."

Premiership clubs don't enter the competition until the third round, a stage Albion have not reached since 1992-93.

Adams, without central defenders Andy Crosby (hamstring) and Gary Hobson (back), will be trying to avoid a shocking sequence of four straight first round defeats for the Seagulls under four different managers.

"It should be a cracking tie," he said. "I've got great respect for Barry Fry and the way he wants to play football.

"It will be very difficult. I suppose we would have wanted an easier one and Barry will feel the same way, but we are going up there to give it a go."

Peterborough: Tyler; Hooper, Drury, Edwards, Chapple, Green, Davies, Castle, Etherington, Fointon, Clarke. Subs: Shields, Griemink, Wicks, Broughton, French.

Albion (from): Walton; Watson, Campbell, McPherson, Carr, Freeman, Rogers, Hart, Oatway, Cullip, Aspinall, Thomas, Cameron, Johnson, Newhouse, Armstrong, Ramsay, Ormerod.

THE Argus, in conjunction with Albion fanzines Scars and Stripes, Build A Bonfire and Seaside Saga, will be providing 3,000 red and black balloons for fans to release before kick off at London Road tomorrow.

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