Albion keeper Dave Beasant is bracing himself for a backlash from his old club Nottingham Forest at Withdean tomorrow.

Fifth-placed Forest were well below par in a 2-2 home draw against the Seagulls' relegation rivals Grimsby on Monday night.

Only a last minute equaliser saved them and Beasant, 44 next week, fears that will make it more difficult as he seeks a hat-trick of clean sheets at home.

"Every game is big for us now, but from my point of view it's a special one seeing a lot of my old friends," he said.

"I still keep in touch with them and watched them perform not to the best of their ability on Monday. I am sure that is going to make it a bit tougher for us.

"They are playing a side at the bottom end of the table again and will be trying to perform more creditably.

"In fairness, we have not performed like the team at the bottom since I have been at the club. The last month has been encouraging. We've lost a couple of games we felt we shouldn't have lost, but overall the boys are ready for the battle."

Beasant spent four seasons at Forest. He is well aware of the firepower jeopardising his spell of three hours and 25 minutes without conceding a goal at Withdean.

"I think they are probably the best footballing side in the division," he said. "I know Paul Hart very well. He's a great manager and he has got a good camp there.

"They like to play football and I am sure they are going to be in the play-offs. They are a very comfortable and confident team.

"The Forest forward line is very powerful with a lot of pace. It's how we handle them and how they handle Bobby Zamora and whoever is up front with him.

"I think there is every chance of us beating them. Forest are not going to look forward to coming down here. They had 25,000 in a great stadium on Monday night.

"Now they are going to be playing in front of 7,000, most of them behind us, and they are not going to like the surroundings. For some of their young lads it's going to be a new experience.

"The way we are playing there is no reason why we shouldn't get a victory. If we can't keep a clean sheet and win 2-1 I'd be happy."

Boss Steve Coppell has the luxury of an empty treatment room as Albion aim for a fourth Withdean win on the trot. Long-term injury victims Michel Kuipers and Paul Kitson both took part in a match at the end of training yesterday.