Albion boss Steve Coppell has adopted a Corporal Jones philosophy for the six matches which will decide his side's fate.

The message from Coppell is "Don't Panic" as the Seagulls open the final chapter in their battle to beat the drop from the First Division at Reading on Friday night.

They enter April outside the relegation zone on goal difference and in good heart after emerging from a testing month with their survival hopes still firmly intact.

Coppell said: "Looking back at March it was never going to be a make month but it could have been a break month.

"They were really tremendously difficult fixtures, four away and three at home, and to come through that difficult month with eight points after losing the first two of them is terrific.

"If somebody had said in November we would be in the position we are we would have taken it. We have got an opportunity now, so it's down to us to accept the opportunity.

"The task right from day one when I came in has been fairly defined and now it is getting more and more focused as you get towards the end.

"You are beginning to know exactly what you have got to do but whatever happens it has got to be a no panic situation. If you over-react to a good result or a bad result it is counter-productive for these six matches.

"Certainly for the next couple of games we have got to be fairly philosophical about things and not get carried away one way or the other, just accept the results as they come and continue to strive for good performances.

"I've been in this situation before. One bad defeat and it's suddenly the end of the world. You have got to, as we have done, put it in a box and put it away.

"I have also been in the situation when I was at Palace where we won a game and everyone thought we were safe.

"We had a helluva celebration and ended up getting relegated. We were eight points ahead of Oldham and they had three games to go and won all three."

Coppell could have a clean bill of health for Friday's Sky televised showdown at the Madejski Stadium.

Bobby Zamora and Danny Cullip continue to make encouraging progress from their respective hamstring injuries and Dean Blackwell is expected to recover from an ankle problem.

"Bobby's reasonably confident, Danny is again reasonably confident and I hope that Dean will train tomorrow," Coppell said.

Ivar Ingimarsson was given an extra day off yesterday after featuring in Iceland's European Championship qualifying defeat against Scotland at Hampden Park on Saturday.

Graham Barrett is still with the Republic of Ireland senior squad for tomorrow night's qualifier in Albania "I won't have him until Friday," Coppell said.

"The gap since the Palace game last Tuesday has been good to lick wounds and get the internationals sorted but in terms of actually preparing us for the next month it has not been effective because we've not been together."

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