Forget that very brief cameo against Gillingham. This should have been Kerry Mayo's 400th appearance.

It would have been a far more fitting way for the long-serving left back, whose future beyond the end of this season remains in the balance, to reach such a notable career landmark.

Sent into battle when Matt Richards was injured in the first half, Mayo settled into defence and had the North Stand cheering when he slid along the greasy turf for a solid tackle right in front of them in the second half.

It was old school defending. But little did we know then what would follow. He took the ball forward, won it back again when it was lost ahead of him and then slid the simple pass which allowed Nicky Forster to get into the box and go tumbling.

Penalty. And, eventually, Albion's second win of the week against a top-five side.

What contribution for game 401. Just like old times.

That was how Mayo felt. He said: "It was like a game from six or seven years ago. It was more of a battle, the tackles were flying.

"It would have been a good game to watch but games like that feel fantastic to play in.

"I thought the atmosphere was the best we've had here for a long time. Whether it was because it was Doncaster or whether it was the nature of the game with a few tackles flying in, I don't know.

"It was a gritty performance, there was some good play from both teams. The first 15 or 20 minutes weren't the best on our part but after that I thought we defended well from front to back.

"Everybody got a foot in where it hurt, blocked shots, closed people down and I thought we relaxed on the ball as well"

Mayo had clear recollections of his part in the build-up to the spot kick. Plus a clear view of the moment Forster went to ground.

The left-back said of his skipper: "He had the got ball out from under his feet and was just about to let one go.

"There was definite contact there. From our point of view it was a penalty."

Having been out of the 16 four more then four months earlier this season, Mayo has now come off the bench four times in 2008 to go with the first half he played in central midfield against Cheltenham.

He had a particularly good sub outing at Oldham as the ten men grabbed an excellent point.

As on Saturday, that was a match in which he took the field midway through the first half.

Game 400, thoigh, was very short-lived. Just enough to get him to that landmark in fact before the final whistle blew on a 4-2 win.

He looks back on that with a laugh now."The game was sewn up, Gillingham were down to nine men," he said.

"The gaffer was well aware I was on 399. I made it clear to him in the days leading up to it.

"I was making it pretty clear as I was warming up that I wanted to go on and it was a special moment for me.

"Now I've got the 400 out of the way, which was my target for the season, I'm just relaxed and enjoying my football again."

So what now? Matt Richards' injury could open a door for the 401-game veteran.

Another option would be to slide Joel Lynch over to left-back and play Adam El-Abd in central defence. But even that is taken away by Andrew Whing's Easter ban, which presumably will lead to El-Abd playing at right-back.

So could Mayo be set for his first start in his favoured left back role since the opening day of the season, when he ran out for action at Crewe?

He said: "I don't know if I'll be playing much more. Every game I get, I'll grab it with both hands.

"I always play with the same spirit and determination. That will never change."

Do you think Kerry Mayo has a role to play with injury and suspension about to rule out Albion's regular full-backs?