DALE Stephens has warned Albion to expect no favours from his old boss in tomorrow night's “massive” home match against Huddersfield.

The Seagulls are desperate for the points at the Amex to take them to the verge of Championship safety.

Huddersfield are out of harm’s way in 16th under Chris Powell but Stephens says that will make no difference to his ex-manager at Charlton.

The midfielder, pictured below, told The Argus: “We need three points probably more than his team does at the moment so we’ll put the friendship aside, that’s for sure.

“He’ll definitely want to win. He’s a winner. He wants to win every game. Managing against anybody he wants to win. It will be a good battle.”

A Charlton connection cost Albion and Stephens on Friday night as Yann Kermorgant, a former team-mate at The Valley, broke the deadlock in the 2-0 defeat by leaders Bournemouth at the Amex with a free-kick which beat David Stockdale.

Stephens said: “I played with Yann for a couple of years at Charlton, so I knew personally about his ability. We highlighted that before the game, not to give free-kicks away in dangerous positions, so we’ve only ourselves to blame really.

“It was a good free-kick, that’s for sure. He stuck it right in the top corner, although it was keeper’s side.

“He (Stockdale) might be disappointed with it but we have got to put it behind us and focus solely on the next game.”

Chris O’Grady’s penalty in defeat at Reading last month is the only goal by an Albion striker in the last nine matches but Stephens, close to scoring against Bournemouth, says they are not the only ones to blame.

He admitted: “I had a couple of chances, so I’m disappointed with that. I had a great chance at 0-0. Everyone’s got to chip in with goals.

“We’ve not got a fluent goalscorer, a man that’s going to get us 20 goals a season. But it’s down to everybody, not just the strikers.”