Paul Kitson has finally returned to action for Brighton and Hove Albion after 133 days of pain and frustration.

The Lashmar, humble home of County League East Preston, was the unlikely setting for Kitson's comeback for the Seagulls on Monday.

A Sussex Senior Cup tie in front of a 350 crowd on a bumpy and frosty pitch was a world away from his previous Monday night appearance 14 months ago.

He scored three of West Ham's goals in a televised 4-4 thriller at Charlton in front of over 23,000 fans at The Valley.

The likes of Chris Powell and recent Albion target Steve Brown were in the Charlton defence that night.

On Monday less familiar names such as Brett Neal and Russell Tomlinson managed to prevent the striker who has partnered Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Ian Wright and Paolo Di Canio from notching his first goal for the club in a hard-fought 2-1 win for Dean White's side.

"Of course that's right, a hat-trick in the Premiership and now a reserve game at East Preston!" Kitson recalled once I had jogged his memory.

"It's part and parcel of it. They are a good set of lads here at Brighton and I am enjoying being back.

"I enjoyed just being out there playing. Obviously conditions weren't good and you get some naughty little challenges on you, but they (East Preston) did well."

Kitson suffered a whack in the ribs during the match, which left him very sore, but an X-ray revealed no lasting damage.

The former Newcastle forward, who turned 32 on Thursday, took a huge wage cut to join Albion from the Hammers in August on a Bosman free transfer for a year, with the option of another year.

It was former manager Martin Hinshelwood's dream partnership, Kitson and Bobby Zamora, but the injury he sustained in only his second outing for the Seagulls summed up the rotten luck Hinshelwood had during his brief tenure.

A back problem in the home defeat by Walsall prompted totally unfounded speculation by some ill-informed fans implying that Albion's medical staff had been lax.

The injury-plagued Kitson had, after all they argued, suffered back trouble before at West Ham.

"This one was totally different," he revealed. "The first game I played was Wimbledon and looking back I shouldn't have played 48 hours later in the Bank Holiday game against Walsall.

"I was stiff, I hadn't had a pre-season and only a week's training beforehand. It was a turn and I felt something go in my back, but you just think it will settle down.

"I've had back problems before, but never this. The disc came out which was stretching the nerve. I played two games after that (Millwall and Gillingham) with the problem, thinking it was going to go away, but the scan showed a prolapsed disc so I ended up having some of the disc removed.

"It solved the problem, because I haven't had any reaction. It's just a case of getting fit now. You can do all the running and training, but games are totally different."

Sitting and watching Albion's struggle at the foot of the First Division for the past four months and not being able to do anything about it has been hard for Kitson to take.

"It's been very frustrating, being in that treatment room. They have done well to get me back, but you are sitting there without being able to train or kick a ball.

"I'm just glad to be back and involved with the lads training again. It's been great.

"I have obviously come here to help the team and to hopefully contribute with goals.

"The lads have performed well recently. There are a lot of games to go and it's tight down there at the bottom.

"I think there is enough quality now that the gaffer has brought other players in. We will give it a good go."

Kitson has experience of a relegation battle and Steve Coppell will be happy if history repeats itself.

West Ham were deep in trouble when Harry Redknapp signed him from Newcastle for £2.3 million in February 1997 together with John Hartson for £3.2 million from Arsenal.

They plundered 13 goals between them in as many games, Kitson finishing top scorer with eight, to keep the East Londoners in the top flight.

Can Kitson and Zamora pull off a similar rescue act for Albion?

By a strange twist of fate, Kitson's first opportunity to play alongside Zamora at Withdean could come against Redknapp's table-topping Portsmouth in next Saturday's sold out high noon showdown.

"Harry's done well down there," Kitson said. "He's got some good players, but of course I would like to put one over him. Every game is a cup final for us now until the end of the season."