Albion boss Chris Hughton has called on his players to produce a repeat performance with a different result in their last game of a miserable season.

Hughton was satisfied with the display by his strugglers in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at the Amex by Watford, which clinched promotion to the Premier League for the visitors.

Watford will be joined in the top flight next season by Bournemouth, who with ex-Albion pair Tommy Elphick and Steve Cook in the centre of defence effectively sealed their spot last night with a 3-0 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

Middlesbrough, Albion’s hosts this Saturday (12.15), cannot catch Bournemouth due to a far inferior goal difference, but Hughton does not want the trip to the North-East to be an anti-climax for his strugglers as well after taking only one point and one goal from their last six matches.

He told The Argus: “It’s same again at Middlesbrough. I would be incredibly disappointed if we don’t get the same level of performance.

“We have a responsibility to the league to put in as good a performance as we can. We also want to get the points ourselves. Whatever we end up finishing with, three points better off will be better for us.”

The remaining incentive for Boro in front of a sell-out crowd at the Riverside is to clinch third spot from Hughton’s old club Norwich, who they lead by a point, and a clash in the play-offs against the side finishing sixth.

Hughton will be forced into at least one change, as on-loan Boro winger Mustapha Carayol is ineligible to tackle his parent club. Boro left-back George Friend, named in the PFA Championship team of the year with midfield colleague Grant Leadbitter, is suspended following his red card in Saturday’s 4-3 defeat at Fulham.