Sam Bladock believes Albion are most people’s favourites to go up in the thrilling climax to the Championship promotion race.

And he thinks they deserve to, because they have played the best football in the league on a smaller budget than their rivals.

The third-placed Seagulls, last day hosts Middlesbrough and leaders Burnley are deadlocked on 87 points with two games left.

The teams are divided narrowly by goal difference after Albion won 3-1 at relegated Charlton and Middlesbrough were held 0-0 at home by Ipswich.

Striker Baldock, who put the Seagulls ahead early on, said: “I don’t think many outside our dressing room would have fancied us to be where we are now. I think the majority of people would like us to go up.

“I know quite a few players in the league and they want us to go up. I think they have respected what we’ve done and I think at times we’ve played the best football in the league.

“It’s going to be tight and exciting, let’s get it on. Most people would say we can’t compete with the budgets of the other teams but money cannot measure passion and the strength of the heart and mind. That’s our focus. We’ve got the inner belief we can win both games but first and foremost it’s Derby.”

Albion play Derby at the Amex next Monday (2.30), before Burnley entertain QPR (4.45) and after Boro visit Birmingham on Friday night.

They had to overcome a total of 15 minutes of stoppage time at Charlton as home fans protested against Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet by hurling balloons, beach balls, toilet rolls and a smoke bomb on to the pitch.

Boss Chris Hughton told The Argus: “In all my years in the game I’ve never been involved in anything like it.

“I’ve had stoppages for a bad injury but to have seven minutes at the end of the first half and then eight minutes in the second is pretty unusual. How much that affected us it’s impossible to say but testimony to our lads for coping with it.”

Albion are now guaranteed third place and a second leg at the Amex in the play-offs against Sheffield Wednesday or Cardiff if they miss out on automatic promotion.

Left-back Liam Rosenior is expected to be fit for Derby’s visit after the 350th start of his career was curtailed late in the second half by a back spasm.