Simon Rodger has targeted a hat-trick of home wins to keep Albion in the First Division.

The plucky midfielder reckons victories in the three fixtures the Seagulls have left at Withdean will go a long way to ensuring survival.

Depleted Preston are the opponents tomorrow, then rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday and FA Cup semi-finalists Watford visit after that. Albion also have to travel to Leicester and relegation rivals Grimsby on the last day.

Rodger, ready to go toe-to-toe again with North End, said: "I think we have got to be looking at winning all the home games and picking up what we can away. If we do that then we stand a great chance.

"Not many teams fancy coming down to Withdean. It's a small ground and it's worked well for us. We have got to keep that going."

Albion are back in the bottom three after Stoke, one of Rodger's former clubs, beat Rotherham on Wednesday.

An emphatic victory for the Seagulls could lift them above both Stoke and Walsall if they lose at Millwall and Gillingham respectively.

Rodger scored and broke a toe when Albion recovered from 2-0 down at the break to finish 2-2 at Preston in November.

He has been playing with the injury ever since and the Shoreham-born former Crystal Palace stalwart will battle through the pain barrier once more tomorrow to aid Albion's cause.

"It's a bit sore," he said. "I've taken a couple of whacks on it in training which hasn't helped. I've had it strapped up and I might have to have an injection for Saturday.

"I've been in a bit of pain but once I see these last five games out then I've got time to rest it.

"It's disappointing to drop back into the bottom three but we mustn't worry about the rest of the teams down there and just concentrate on ourselves.

"Hopefully we are going to keep out of the bottom three, drag Walsall into it and keep Brighton in the First Division where they belong."

Albion are expected to be unchanged in the probable absence of Dean Blackwell (ankle), with Paul Kitson on the bench again.

Boss Steve Coppell said: "Despite the fact that Stoke are above us at the moment it's still very much in our hands if we do our stuff.

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