Gary Hart today admitted Albion must raise their game in the fight for Championship survival.

The Seagulls are desperate to end a run of five straight defeats at play-off probables Preston tonight.

They have not been helped by a series of penalty decisions against them away from home but Hart believes they must help themselves by producing a winning performance.

The right winger, provider of Adam Virgo's equaliser in Saturday's controversial 2-1 defeat at Coventry, said: "I think everything is going against us at the moment, but we have to put a performance in to win games first of all and that's what we haven't been doing lately.

"Everyone is treating it as a cup final every week at the moment and we have not raised our game possibly as much as other teams.

"We've been doing well but not through the whole 90 minutes. That is the problem."

Albion welcome back experienced midfielder Richard Carpenter, suspended from the Seagulls' last three defeats.

Hart said: "We need someone to crack one in from 25 yards and he's the man to do it if anyone can.

"I remember our 2-2 draw up there a couple of seasons ago and I have good memories of that. All we can do is go there and battle. It's about time we got a break.

"Gillingham went up there and got a point on Saturday and I don't see why we can't.

"We've had some good results away from home, we've had some bad ones as well, but it's about time we got some points on the board again.

"This is one of the worst losing runs I can remember. When you get into a losing streak you wonder where the next point is going to come from, but we have got to get ourselves out of it.

"There are six games to go and we are in trouble, there's no doubt about that."

Adam El-Abd has been added to the squad which travelled to Lancashire yesterday.

El-Abd was axed for the Coventry match after he was fined by police for being drunk and disorderly at a Brighton seafront nightclub over Easter.

Manager Mark McGhee said: "I'm still very disappointed with Adam but we have a very small squad and we have to consider every player at the moment."

The Football League have defended the appointment of referee Phil Prosser for tonight's game.

Prosser caused uproar the last time he took charge of an Albion fixture by awarding Sheffield United two late penalties at Withdean two seasons ago.

League spokesman John Nagle said: "As far as we are concerned there is no reason why Phil Prosser should not referee this game. He has been scheduled to referee it and Brighton as a club haven't raised it with us."

McGhee, still smarting over the hotly disputed penalty awarded to Coventry by ref Mark Cowburn, said: "Consistency is what I am looking for.

"We have got to guard against giving the referee any excuse to act against us. We will, hopefully, stay away from the referee and hope that he makes the right decisions."