Forster at the double for Albion

A brace from Nicky Forster saw Albion come from behind to maintain their play-off challenge with victory over Swindon.

Forster struck either side of half-time after Craig Easton had given the visitors an early lead.

Manager Dean Wilkins thought long and hard about who should replace the suspended Andrew Whing at right-back.

Tommy Fraser was initially considered but it came down in the end to a choice between Gary Hart and Shane McFaul.

Hart got the nod for his first start of the season. It was a bit like old times, with another Seagulls stalwart, Kerry Mayo, continuing to deputise for the injured Matt Richards at left-back.

Racon, signed on loan from Charlton for the rest of the season, had a tall order alongside Steve Thomson in the middle of the park.

The 23-year-old Frenchman speaks English well enough to be able to converse with his new team-mates but he was still coming in to an unfamiliar environment, having not made a senior appearance since featuring for Charlton at Norwich on Boxing Day.

Although Albion have been keeping tabs on the former Marseille player for some time, they were forced to bring him in sooner than might otherwise have been the case after Adam El-Abd suffered medial knee ligament damage in the 2-1 setback at Huddersfield.

The versatile El-Abd was one of the last players Wilkins would have wanted to lose for the run-in, not least because he could easily have switched into Whing's position.

The enforced changes weighed heavily on Wilkins' mind ahead of the match. He was without three of the back four from a few weeks ago, when El-Abd was operating at centre half, and Hart had the challenging task of marking Swindon's pint-sized danger man, Anthony McNamee.

The former Watford left winger, given freedom to roam, was outstanding in the visitors' 2-2 home draw with Carlisle on their previous outing.

Wilkins' fears were given unwelcome justification by his side's hesitant start. Swindon dominated possession in the early stages and the Seagulls had already survived a couple of scares before falling behind in the eighth minute.

A corner from Michael Timlin - Thomson's future brother-in-law - was flicked on to the far post where Easton converted an angled drive which went in despite a frantic attempt by Michel Kuipers to keep it out.

Swindon's lead lasted only four minutes, Forster maintaining his rich vein of goalscoring form.

He made a run across the front of his marker to meet a free-kick from Dean Cox with a glancing header which gave Peter Brezovan, Swindon's giant Slovakian keeper, no chance.

It was the fourth game in succession that Forster has been on the score sheet and his sixth in the last seven matches.

There was no let-up in the goalmouth action in a lively first half. Both defences looked vulnerable but it was Albion creating the lion's share of the opportunities.

Forster, on target in the 3-0 victory at Swindon in December, had a header grabbed by Brezovan and volleyed over from a Cox cross, although it would have not counted as the linesman had his flag up for offside.

Brezovan distinguished himself by acrobatically tipping over Glenn Murray's header from another Cox centre and the 6ft 7ins custodian did even better with two saves in swift succession.

He got a foot to Thomson's close-range effort after Forster hooked the ball into the danger zone and, from the resulting corner, blocked Racon's low drive.

Albion's latest acquisition impressed with his energy and poise in possession.

It was in defence where Albion looked far less assured, their failure to deal with set pieces almost costing them dear once more.

They had Thomson to thank for clearing Blair Sturrock's back-header from a corner off the line and there were enough bodies in the box to block the elusive McNamee's follow-up.

The Seagulls should, nevertheless, have gone in at the interval in front on the balance of play and chances.

Frustratingly, they also began the second half rather sluggishly, McNamee and Simon Cox both failing to test Kuipers with shots wide of the target.

The momentum was regained after the Swindon defence was almost caught napping by a high cross from Racon which Cox volleyed back across the face of goal, with nobody quite able to apply the finishing touch.

It was left to Forster once more to produce the kind of quality required to prise the advantage.

His curling free-kick over the defensive wall from 20 yards midway through the second half found the net via Brezovan's right hand post.

Were you at the game? What did you think of Albion's performance? Can they reach the play-offs and what were your first impressions of Therry Racon?