Albion boss Dean Wilkins has urged his players to send the Withdean faithful into the summer break with a smile on their faces instead of a grimace.

The Seagulls had already been relegated from the Championship under Mark McGhee when they lost 5-1 to Stoke in the last home game of last season.

Oldham bring the curtain down on struggling Albion's Withdean campaign today, with Wilkins desperate to sign off on a positive note.

His team have not won at home for five games since beating Nottingham Forest in February, while the loss to Bradford last time out made it almost five hours without a goal to cheer.

Some of them have still rallied round with messages of support for Wilkins and his players after Dean Cox and Jake Robinson were abused before the Bradford match.

Wilkins said: "That has been really encouraging and it has given the players a boost, especially after what happened at the last home game. We need to try to provide at least a couple of goals now and the the three points. If we do that then people will be looking forward to next season."

Albion are considering whether to launch a claim for compensation in the transfer scandal involving Carlos Tevez. West Ham have been hit with a £5.5 million fine by the Premier League following an investigation into the ownership of Tevez and Javier Mascherano.

The possibility of pursuing compensation was discussed by Albion's board yesterday. Tevez inspired West Ham to a 3-0 win against the Seagulls in the FA Cup in January. An Albion claim would centre on the £40,000 West Ham received in prize money for their victory.