Albion legend Alan Mullery says Chris Hughton has been faultless as he chases a 50th win to celebrate his 100th league game in charge.

And Mullery believes the Seagulls’ boss is equipped to guide the side through the current blip in their promotion challenge.

Albion try to end a wobble of one point from nine away from home and one win in four at Barnsley today.

The latest test of their automatic promotion credentials at Oakwell is Hughton’s 100th Championship match in charge – and 49 of the previous 99 have been wins.

Albion were much closer to League One than the Premier League when Hughton succeeded Sami Hyppia.

They were still just a point and a place above the relegation zone after a draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the early stages of his reign.

Exactly two years on, another stalemate, at home to Ipswich on Tuesday, left Albion in a much healthier state.

Although it was a disappointing result, they are still four points above third-placed Huddersfield and just a point behind Newcastle in the race to reach the Premier League.

A half century of victories for Hughton would lift Albion back to the top of the table above Newcastle, who host Aston Villa on Monday, and put pressure on Huddersfield.

The Yorkshiremen face Manchester City in the FA Cup before a key home game on Tuesday against fourth-placed Reading.

Even if results go against them, Albion will head into back-to-back showdowns at the Amex at the end of the month against Reading and Newcastle still in the top two – a major turnaround from the circumstances Hughton inherited when he took the job.

The Argus:

Chris Hughton is aiming to emulate Alan Mullery's promotion-winning feats

Mullery, Albion’s former promotion-winning manager turned ambassador, told the Argus: “He’s made a terrific difference.

“No disrespect to Sami, as soon as Chris came in it was a different type of football that we played. We weren’t in a very happy position and it wasn’t nice watching us in that position. In his second season we missed out (on promotion) on goal difference and now we are second with 15 games to go.

“Achievement wise, he has done better than most managers we’ve had.”

Mullery’s brash style of leadership in Albion’s glory era is a stark contrast to Hughton’s low-key, methodical approach.

But the fellow former Tottenham stalwarts are bonded by the success they have brought to Albion in the second tier of English football.

Mullery steered the club to the top flight for the only time in their history in the late Seventies after an agonising near-miss the previous year. Now Hughton is on course to follow suit.

Mullery said: “He’s not a Jurgen Klopp, he doesn’t get too excited. He does it in his own manner. Chris was like that as a player, a very straightforward guy. He knows what he is doing.

The Argus:

Chris Hughton during his first league game in charge, at Charlton

“He’s got the experience to deal with the situation we are in. He did an outstanding job at Newcastle. Getting the sack after taking them back up was an absolute disgrace. He also did well at Birmingham.

“Over those 100-odd games you can’t really see anything he had done wrong. He has kept the momentum going. Last season broke his heart, mine as well, and the fans.

“He has been there, worn the T-shirt and that’s what it’s all about. We missed out on goal difference and the following season went up.

“I just hope the same thing happens. You don’t learn by winning, I think you learn by losing.”

Albion have lost two of their last three away games in the Championship, at Preston and Huddersfield.

It would have been three without Tomer Hemed’s equaliser deep into stoppage time at Brentford and four in all competitions, including the 3-1 exit from the FA Cup at Lincoln for a shadow side.

Hughton has some significant selection decisions to make as he reaches his century. Does he keep faith with winger Solly March, recall Beram Kayal in midfield or top scorer Glenn Murray to the attack?

Mullery believes the three games remaining in a so-far faltering February will shape Albion’s destiny.

“There are four or five teams behind us that want to get to the Premier League as well, but that’s the competition,” he said.

“The next three games will dictate where we are and what we are going to do, whether we are top or down in third or fourth.

“It is very important we get good results against those three teams.”