There are numerous uncertainties surrounding Albion’s trip to Ipswich today.

What team will Gus Poyet pick and how will they respond to that defeat by Crystal Palace and one point from the last three games?

Which Ipswich will show up, the side that conceded seven at Peterborough and five against Southampton at Portman Road or that deservedly beat West Ham at Upton Park on Tuesday?

Amid the many imponderables Ashley Barnes is sure to step up to the spot if the Seagulls are awarded another penalty - and he is almost sure to score.

Such confidence would have been misplaced last season.

The blot on Albion’s League One title success was their appalling record from 12 yards.

When Barnes had a penalty saved at Brentford in March it was their sixth, yes sixth, failure of the campaign.

The role of penalty-taker was up for grabs during pre-season but, assuming he is on the pitch, nobody will be wrestling the ball off Barnes.

Winning the guessing game against the goalkeeper is an under-rated and sometimes crucial art. Albion benefited from Liam Lawrence squandering a late opportunity to level from the spot at Portsmouth.

Four of Barnes’ seven goals in 12 appearances this season have been penalties. The first one he converted, against Gillingham in the Carling Cup, led to lucrative matches against Sunderland and Liverpool.

He provided late hope against Liverpool, then equalised against Leeds after giving Albion a two-goal cushion at Cardiff, their best league result and performance so far this season.

Barnes said: “I don’t really practise them that much. I just tend to pick up the ball and I’m confident enough that I am going to score.

“Luckily enough I’ve scored the last few, which is fantastic. I’ve got a set routine but I am not going to discuss that, because I’m not going to give anything away on how I take penalties.

“You need to know where you are going to put it, you can’t change your mind at the last minute.

“If you change your mind you are going to get confused and then you miss.

“You are always going to get criticised if you miss a penalty, because it is only from 12 yards out and everyone thinks you should score.

“It’s harder than it looks but I’ve put all my penalties away so far this season, so I’ve not been kicked off them and hopefully won’t be.”

It has not just been about penalties for Barnes. A fine opening strike at Cardiff and poacher’s efforts from corners against Blackpool and Bristol City have him well ahead of schedule.

He had scored three goals at the same stage last season and finished with 20.

“I want to keep going and get as many goals as I can this season,” he said.

“The performance the other day was not the best from me. I was pretty disappointed but hopefully I can put that right, if selected.”

Barnes is taking nothing for granted, especially with Will Hoskins back in the squad recently after finally shrugging off a persistent hip problem.

The Palace setback hurt supporters and players alike but the 21-year-old striker sees the bigger picture.

He said: “The fans are devastated we lost and all the boys are fuming, because that was a game we wanted to win, but you have got to look at our league position.

“If we had won that we would have gone top again but we are only two points off the top now.

“If you look at where the club was 18 months ago, struggling in League One, to where we are now, it’s a fantastic achievement since the gaffer has been here.”

In any case, family matters give Barnes a sense of proportion. He has a ten-week-old son, Flynn, to either lift his spirits or keep his feet on the ground.

“It changes your whole perspective on life,” he said. “It’s just unreal. You go home and the first thing you want to do is see him, whether you’ve had a bad game or a fantastic game.”

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