Paul Kitson's cruel luck with injuries for Albion this season struck again last night.

He lasted only 45 minutes in a 4-1 win for the Reserves against Barnet at Worthing.

Kitson went off with a stiff back after spending much of the first half stretching and feeling his right hamstring.

His chronic sequence of injuries began with a back problem which required surgery.

Things seemed to be looking up for the former West Ham striker when he scored his first goal for the club as a sub to clinch last Friday's 2-1 triumph at Reading but this latest blow casts fresh doubt over his availability for the relegation run-in.

John Piercy scored from two penalties for the Reserves, both awarded for hand ball, after three and 75 minutes.

Nathan Jones struck sweetly from 20 yards in the seventh minute and Robbie Pethick with a ferocious right foot volley seven minutes from time. Ben Martin replied for Barnet.

Former Albion forward Richie Barker has pledged to help his old club in their fight against relegation.

The Rotherham marksman is battling to recover from a virus to face Stoke at the Britannia Stadium tonight in a match which could have a significant bearing on the Seagulls' survival chances.

Stoke are two points behind with a game in hand and Barker is optimistic Rotherham can prevent them getting the win they need to dump Albion back into the drop zone.

"Hopefully we can do Brighton a favour," said Barker. "We haven't got a lot left to play for ourselves but a few players are out of contract in the summer and our aim is to finish in the top half.

"After tonight our chances of winning any games are pretty slim. Our last five are against Leicester, Palace, Ipswich Portsmouth and Nottingham Forest, so we will do what we can."

Albion were boosted by a 1-0 home defeat for Grimsby against Wolves last night. The Mariners remain next to bottom, three points adrift of the Seagulls from the same number of games.

Bobby Zamora has apologised and sent a signed England shirt to a ball boy he threw the ball back at during the Reading game.

An Albion spokesman said: "He shouldn't have done it but it was in the heat of the moment and the matter is now over as far as we are concerned."

Albion Reserves: Packham; Wilkinson, Jones, Pethick, Virgo, Rogers, Hammond, Oatway, Kitson, Marney, Piercy. Subs: McPhee for Kitson (injured, 46), Lee for Marney (injured, 74), Hinshelwood for Oatway (injured, 83).

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