Will Hoskins praised Albion’s medical staff after he marked his belated debut for the club with a goal.

Hoskins came off the bench and hit the crowning third as the Seagulls outclassed Cardiff.

The summer signing from Bristol Rovers missed the first three games of the season as he recovered from an abductor muscle injury but is now ready to compete for a spot in attack.

He admitted: “That’s the first proper injury I’ve had in near enough four years and I’ve never had a muscle injury before.

“It was a bit hard for me to know how to deal with it and manage it. The physio team here are brilliant and they have been working with me.

“It was nice to get on the pitch and be a part of it because what the lads have been doing has been superb.”

Two-goal Ashley Barnes admitted his long-range opener was one of the best strikes of his career.

He said: “I hit it sweetly and I was hoping it would just go into the bottom corner, which it did.”

Albion’s development team won 2-1 at Nottingham Forest yesterday in a friendly, Ryan Simmonds and George Barker scoring the goals. Luke Williams’ youngsters have another friendly next week at Watford.