Albion boss Peter Taylor has urged fans not to get carried away with automatic promotion fever.

He is philosophical about the Seagulls losing the Second Division leadership and believes a place in the play-offs would represent "a very good season".

Taylor's assessment of the Seagulls' prospects coincides with the race hotting up for the two automatic promotion places and four play-off spots.

Only two points divide the top four. Stoke, ahead of Albion by virtue of a one-better goal difference, host sixth-placed Cardiff in another key clash tonight.

Taylor said: "I'm not worried about losing top spot. It's nice for supporters to read the paper when they are top, but if they are high up that is the most important thing. Come the end of April is when it matters.

"I think there are a lot of teams coming into good form, like Cardiff and Bristol City, and we have got to be very careful of that.

"Reading are always going to be there or thereabouts, Stoke are flying and I think Tranmere are going to be close, so we have still got a long way to go.

"I look at the top six or seven teams. They are the ones that are important to me at the moment.

"It's nice to be eight points higher than seventh position and what I mustn't do and everybody else mustn't do is just think we are going to be promoted automatically.

"I am thinking if we can at least stay in the top six then that would be a very good season for us.

"We've had a very good spell and there are not many times when you don't have a bad spell during the season.

"There is going to be a time when we have a little bit of a hiccup and we have got to make sure we are ready for that."

Albion launch a hectic spell of four matches in a dozen days over the crucial Christmas period at home to lowly Chesterfield on Friday night.

They visit mid-table teams Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool on Boxing Day and December 29 respectively, then entertain next-to-bottom Northampton on New Year's Day.

Brentford, a point behind Albion in third from a match more, are also in action on Friday night against Northampton at Griffin Park.

Fourth-placed Bristol City face Wrexham at Ashton Gate on Saturday.

Reading, in fifth, are at home to under-achieving Wigan and Tranmere visit Peterborough.