RICHARD Barker wants Albion to put a spoke in his home town team's promotion challenge.

Rotherham need to win the Seagulls' final away fixtute at Millmoor tomorrow to be sure of a play-off place.

But Barker hopes at some stage to play a goalscoring part in completing the double against his fellow Yorkshiremen.

The 23-year-old striker, born seven miles from Millmoor on the border of Sheffield and Rotherham, bagged a brace when Albion thumped them 4-1 at Gillingham before Christmas.

Barker, a playing substitute in Micky Adams' three matches in charge so far, said: "Along with Peterborough that was my most enjoyable game of the season.

"I don't think there will be a repeat of that for me if I am sitting on the bench, but you never know.

"If I am on the bench and I come on I will just do my best for the team and hopefully get on the scoresheet to prove to the manager that I can get goals."

Barker is relishing the return to the club he rejected as a kid. His mum Pauline and seriously ill dad Mel, who are surrounded by Rotherham supporters at work, will be among the crowd.

"I cannot wait," Barker said. "I had an offer to sign for Rotherham on schoolboy forms when I was 14, but I went to Sheffield Wednesday instead.

"They are up there with a chance and they have a lot to play for, but so do we with so many of us out of contract at the end of the season."

Sheffield-born Adams watched Rotherham at Torquay last Saturday, then again in their midweek home draw against Barnet.

"They were what I expected them to be, big and strong with a lot of experience in vital areas, so it will be a difficult match," he said.

"I've heard reports that our game against Hull last Saturday was a typical end of season affair, but this is going to be something different. We will be trying to blow the candles out on their promotion party."

Rotherham (from): Pollitt; Varty, Hurst, Thompson, Knill, Whelan, Sedgwick, Hudson, Fortune-West, Warne, Roscoe, White, Ingledow, Williams, Berry, R. Scott.

Albion (from): Ormerod; Walton; Bennett, Mayo, Minton, Hobson, McPherson, Storer, Arnott, Hart, Moralee, Sturgess, Ansah, Barker, Smith, Allan.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.