Albion boss Peter Taylor wants his table-toppers to exploit the chance to jump further ahead of their promotion rivals.

Restrictions at Withdean prevent the Seagulls from playing at home on the next two Saturdays.

Instead they entertain fifth-placed Reading on Friday night and struggling Chesterfield the following Friday.

Albion will go six points clear ahead of Saturday's Second Division programme if they record a seventh Withdean win out of eight under Taylor against Reading.

"It will be nice to play before everybody else and get a win, because that will then put the other teams under pressure," he said.

"You get a good atmosphere with evening games anyway, so the players will be looking forward to it.

"They get a Saturday off, which is nice for them. Over a long and hard season you don't get too many.

"The Reading game is absolutely massive and it's very important that we keep winning.

"I've told the players we are in good form, we are being lucky with injuries at the moment and we have got to take advantage by picking up the points as quickly as we can."

Victory against Reading would serve two purposes. It would temporarily at least stretch Albion's lead at the top and open an eight-point gap over one of their most serious opponents for a place in Division One next season.

The Seagulls have already established an eight-point cushion in the race for a play-off place and central defender Simon Morgan said: "The big games keep on coming.

"It's back to league action now and we have got two very important ones before Christmas. It would be lovely if we are still heading the table by then."

Morgan's former Fulham colleague Paul Brooker said: "Psychologically it helps if you are top at Christmas and that is where we want to be.

"If we are looking down on everyone and can keep on rolling, like we did last season, then we can be there or thereabouts."

Albion have been boosted by an injury blow for Reading. Centre half Adrian Viveash has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a groin injury sustained in last Saturday's surprise FA Cup exit at struggling York City.