Brighton and Hove Albion keeper Michel Kuipers has protested his innocence over the first red card of his career.

Kuipers is keeping his fingers crossed that his late exit against Bradford will be rescinded now that the Seagulls have launched an appeal.

The big Dutchman was dismissed for bringing down Stephen Warnock in the dying stages of the 3-2 victory for Steve Coppell's side at Withdean last Saturday.

Ref Brian Curson awarded a penalty and a straight red card for the dismayed No. 1.

"I've never been sent off in my life, not even at youth level," Kuipers said. "I was not happy about it, but the story is not finished yet.

"I just came out and tried to get the ball. He had a touch and played it really far out. I don't think he was going to get the ball anyway.

"Besides that, we had Danny Cullip and probably another defender covering my back as well, so I wasn't the last man."

Kuipers is available for Monday's trip to Wolves, regardless of the outcome of the appeal. If it fails he will be suspended for the next home game against Derby five days later.

Kuipers is relishing rock-bottom Albion's trip to Molineux. "It's going to be hard for us, but everybody is going up there really confident.

"I have got great self-belief. We have done it over the last two years. We've had a hard time, but we will fight back.

"I'm sure we can climb out of trouble. We've lost games where we should have drawn or won and we have been very unlucky so far. Hopefully the luck is going to turn our way this time."

The Wolves match was put back 48 hours for live coverage on Sky TV, but boss Steve Coppell wishes Albion were playing tomorrow.

"I don't want two extra days, I want to be playing games," he said. "The first week I came it was two weeks before a game.

"I would much rather be playing Saturday to Saturday or Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday. That's more my body clock tempo."

Stoke and Grimsby, two of Albion's relegation rivals, face each other at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.

Chris Turner's first match in charge of fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday is at Norwich.

More from the camp at thisisthealbion.co.uk