Ben Roberts would rather not be remembered as the only goalkeeper to concede goals in the first and last minutes of Wembley Cup finals.

Instead Albion's injury-ravaged new No. 1 wants to get his career back on track by helping to save the Seagulls from the drop.

Roberts had barely walked through the door at Albion on a month's loan from Charlton when that unwanted Wembley statistic came back to haunt him.

Roberto Di Matteo's swerving shot for Chelsea beat the Middlesbrough custodian in the opening stages of the 1997 FA Cup final, but it was the identity of the last-gasp scoring culprit that ensured instant ribbing for Roberts.

He was on loan to Millwall when Albion's club captain Paul Rogers notched Wigan's winner in the 1999 final of the Auto Windscreens Shield.

"Dodge reminded me of that the first day I was down," chuckled Roberts. "I wouldn't say it is a record I am proud of.

"It was nice to play in those games but disappointing to be on the losing side both times."

Two Wembley appearances and another in the 1997 Coca Cola Cup final replay defeat for Boro against Leicester at Hillsborough is not bad going for Roberts considering that his Albion debut in last Saturday's deadlock against leaders Portsmouth was only the 69th League game of his career.

He has spent a large chunk of it on the treatment table or filling in when another member of the goalkeepers' union has been injured.

Roberts was restricted to 16 League outings in eight seasons with Boro, ten when they were relegated from the Premiership in the eventful 1996-97 campaign and the other six when they were promoted back to the top flight the following year.

The former England under 21 international understudied Stephen Pears, Gary Walsh and Mark Schwarzer before suffering a serious injury in mysterious circumstances.

"For my last two years at Middlesbrough I hardly trained because of a back problem," said Roberts. "I've no idea how I did it, but it came on over the course of a couple of weeks and carried on and on.

"In the end a specialist in London found I had a blood clot in my spine. I had an operation and six weeks later I was back training."

Roberts became so tetchy about his long absence that team-mates did not dare to crack the obvious jokes about the damage being done by picking the ball out of the net.

Imagine the depth of his frustration then when fate dealt the 27-year-old another devastating blow.

"Once I sorted my back out I turned a contract down at Middlesbrough," he explained. "I felt I needed a fresh start.

"I signed for Charlton in the summer of 2000 but in my first day's training I broke down with a knee injury.

"The first op went wrong and I needed another, so I missed the whole of my first season there. I've not had much luck, but you just have to get on with it."

Roberts has spent the rest of his time at The Valley looking on in admiration at the form of Republic of Ireland international Dean Kiely and vying with Sasa Ilic for a place on the bench.

The Bishop Auckland-born shot-stopper jumped at the chance when the call came from Albion boss Steve Coppell for him to cover for the injured Michel Kuipers.

"It took me two seconds to decide," Roberts said. "I was delighted. It's a good challenge because every game for Brighton is going to be like a cup final between now and the end of the season.

"The last four and a half years have been really frustrating. I missed three of them through injury and for the last year and a half I have been behind an excellent goalkeeper in Dean Kiely.

"He works so hard and it is good to train with him every day, but I have got to look after my own career. I need to play games."

Albion are the seventh club Roberts has served on loan. He has also helped out Bradford in the First Division, Reading, Luton, Millwall and Wycombe in the Second and Hartlepool in the Third.

He took a programme home with him to familiarise himself with the names and faces of the players the night before an accomplished debut against Portsmouth, which included a fine one-handed save in the second half from Nigerian substitute Yakubu.

"I was pleased with that save," Roberts said. "He took it early, but I managed to get something on it. I knew most of the boys from training, but I got a programme off John Keeley and took it home just to make sure I knew everyone's names and faces.

"It is quite difficult to slot straight in, but I've done it a few times. The best way to get to know them is to play a game behind them."

Roberts' six games on loan to Reading last season included a 3-1 defeat at Withdean, but he also featured in four wins and kept three clean sheets. That is the kind of form Albion need to show while Kuipers recovers from a torn thigh muscle.

It's early days, but Roberts is encouraged by what he has seen so far. "It's been really easy to setttle in," he said. "The boys have been spot-on."

Kuipers could be out for up to eight weeks, so if Roberts does well his stay is likely to be stretched. Understandably, given his track record, he is not looking that far ahead.